Getting Back on The Bike

Getting Back on the Bike is a compelling and deeply inspiring South African memoir of resilience, triumph and personal transformation as it weaves together sport, personal healing, and the pursuit of meaning. Former cycling champion Cathy Carstens – physiotherapist, consciousness coach, and legendary South African cyclist – chronicles her rise in a male-dominated sport, her five consecutive victories in the Cape Town Cycle Tour (formerly the Argus), and her unexpected return to elite racing in her forties, where she went on to win two UCI Masters Road World Championships.

Told with honesty, humour, and spiritual depth, Cathy’s story moves from early struggles and devastating setbacks to remarkable comebacks and rediscovered joy. Whether navigating 700-kilometre stage races, mastering the art of resilience, or finding clarity in life’s hardest moments, her journey reminds readers that the greatest victories often follow our most painful falls.

This book is a powerful reminder that the race of life is won not by perfection, but by the courage to begin again. Blending cycling history, lived wisdom, and emotive storytelling, this book offers both an inspiring sports narrative and a guide to living with courage, purpose, and authenticity.

Cathy Carstens is a South African physiotherapist, cycling champion, and consciousness coach. She co-founded the Western Province Ladies Cycling Association in 1989 and dominated South African women’s road cycling for nearly a decade, winning the Argus Cycle Tour five years in a row and more than 300 fun rides and national titles. Due to the sanctions against South Africa in that era, she was unable to compete on the international arena. After raising her family and building her physiotherapy practice, she returned to competition in her forties, winning multiple SA Masters titles and the UCI Masters Road World Championships in Austria. In 2014, she became the first woman inducted as a Legend of the Pedal. She has shared her story to inspire others to "get back on their bikes" - literally or figuratively - and ride life to the fullest!