I’m so happy to say the year has officially kicked off – and we’ve hit the ground running.
It all began with something simple: laps on the Ohvale. No pressure, no lap times on the line – just seat time. Those little bikes have a way of reminding you what really matters: corner speed, smoothness and being honest with your inputs. It’s amazing how much you can re-learn on something so small, and it set the tone perfectly for what turned into a huge month on track.
From there, I packed up and headed to Mac Park for on-track rider training with Levi Day, Davo Johnson and Ty Lynch – some of the best racers Australia has to offer. That weekend is always one of my favourites of the year. It’s low stress but hugely beneficial, with plenty of coaching, drills and on-track demonstrations that give you instant light-bulb moments.
There’s something really valuable about going back to basics, especially as you get deeper into your career. Body position, braking markers, vision – all the fundamentals that are easy to overlook when you’re chasing lap times. Spending time drilling down on those things reminds you that improvement doesn’t always come from pushing harder, but from riding smarter.
The following weekend took me somewhere completely new – my first-ever women’s-only ride day at Broadford in Victoria. And honestly, it was incredible. I loved every single aspect of it. As I’m writing this, I keep coming back to how grateful I am for the people you meet in pit garages up and down the country. I’m never disappointed with who I’m pitted alongside, and the motorcycle community just keeps getting better and better. That said, there’s always room to make it bigger – and that’s exactly what events like this are doing. GirlsCanRide absolutely nailed it.
To my surprise, I was asked to be a coach at the event – my first time officially coaching – and I was so excited. I got handed a high-viz vest with “COACH” written across it, and I won’t lie… I felt pretty legit. Throughout the day, I worked with some of the girls on following and leading, had them sit on their bikes to practise body positioning, went through track maps, and talked braking markers and apexes – all things I still take time to focus on myself after ASBK race sessions. It was incredibly rewarding watching confidence grow session by session.
Then came the fun part. We were lucky enough to have some female police officers come down for a talk, which somehow turned into a playful demonstration of the cops chasing us coaches around the track. It was lighthearted, a bit silly and exactly the kind of atmosphere that makes people feel welcome.
After some exhibition laps – with all the girls lined up on pitlane watching – we threw in a few hot laps. And, of course, as I went past them, I had to give them the swoop. Hey, I can’t do a wheelie yet, so I have to make a bit of a show somehow, right?
The next weekend had me back in Victoria again – but this time at my absolute favourite track. If you don’t know which one I’m talking about, you clearly haven’t read a Tarzy column before. That’s right: Phillip Island. Just writing that puts a massive grin on my face.
I was there for Round 1 of the Victorian Championships at which I won my class in 2025. This time the weekend wasn’t about state points. I was using it as an ASBK test, alongside preparations for the WorldSBK round, and the bike felt absolutely mint.
Another thing I’m quietly excited about this year is firing up my infamous YouTube channel again – and yes, I’m putting that in writing to hold myself accountable. I’ve always loved documenting the behind-the-scenes side of racing – the travel days, the testing, the laughs, the chaos and the moments that don’t always make it onto social media – so I’m setting myself a realistic goal of one video a month, posted on the last day of every month, so keep an eye out!
Looking ahead, there’s one more new challenge I’m excited about and that’s finally getting my road licence. I know – surprising. I did have it briefly in high school but once cars, trailers and stacks of tyres became part of my life, it got put on the backburner. Now feels like the right time to tick it off properly. I’ll be swapping sixth-gear corners for indicators and shoulder checks – and learning a few new habits along the way.
This year has already delivered big miles, big smiles and plenty of momentum. And if this is how 2026 starts, I can’t wait to see where it takes us next!
