My First Blog: A New Beginning

Hi everyone! Welcome to my very first blog on my website— something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.
I’m Amber Joseph 🇧🇧, a proud Barbadian cyclist chasing big dreams on the track and beyond.

This journey hasn’t been easy… but it’s been everything.

I was born in Barbados and moved to the UK at just 14 years old — wide-eyed, hungry to learn, and with barely any race experience. I still remember those early days: standing nervously at start lines, trying to figure out how to even move in a bunch sprint, racing against riders who had been doing this their whole lives.
It was a huge culture shock — cold weather, fast racing, and a level of competition I had never seen before.

But something inside me clicked. I loved it. I wanted more.

Within two years, I climbed to 3rd in the UK national rankings and made it to medal rides at the British National Track Championships.
By 16, I was lining up against some of the biggest names in the world like Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald — a young girl from Barbados riding with the very best.
In 2017, I became the first Barbadian female track cyclist to compete at Junior World Championships, finishing 9th in the Omnium.
At the end of that year, I was ranked 3rd in the world in the junior Omnium and Points Race.

That fire only grew when I moved into the elite UCI ranks.
By 2019, I had moved to the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland, and under Craig MacLean’s guidance, I qualified for my first Elite World Championships.
I placed 7th in the Scratch Race and 11th in the Points Race — proving that a small-island girl could stand toe-to-toe with the best in the world.

Racing at UCI World Cups, the Commonwealth Games, Pan-American Games, and World Championships became my life. I lived out of suitcases, chased results, and kept pushing — always believing, always dreaming.

But here’s the truth: the last few years have been tough.

After years of hard work, I narrowly missed qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris — a goal that had fueled me for so long.
It crushed me.
I questioned everything:
Why am I doing this?
What truly motivates me?
Do I still love this sport?

I won’t sugarcoat it — mentally, it was one of the hardest periods of my life.
There were days I didn’t want to get on the bike.
There were days I felt lost.

But stepping back was the greatest gift I could have given myself.
It forced me to reconnect with my “why.”

Cycling isn’t just about medals or rankings. It’s about joy. It’s about freedom. It’s about that 14-year-old girl who fell in love with racing against all odds.

Now, in April 2025, I can honestly say:
🌟 I have never been happier.
🌟 I have never been more motivated.
🌟 I have never loved the bike more.

I’m excited again. I’m hungry again. I’m smiling again.

This year, I’m back doing what I love my way — chasing speed, power, and pride on the track.
And while I’ll talk more openly about my mental struggles and how amazing being a professional athlete can but but how tough it can be in future posts (because I know so many athletes go through this too), today as you read this I just want to celebrate this moment:
A fresh start. A new chapter. A happy Amber.

Thank you for being here with me.
Thank you for believing.
The best is yet to come. 🚀

Love,
Amber ❤