Photography: Michelle Cutell
As the first New Zealander to ever win a cross-country mountain bike world series, Sammie Maxwell should be on top of the world.
But behind the podium finishes and Champagne showers, the 24-year-old was battling against her brain as she fought to manage the eating disorder she has struggled with since her teen years.
So in January, she chose to put herself above cycling and take the year off to focus on treatment.
“Every time I spend time away from the sport, it reaffirms how much I genuinely love the process,” says the Taupo¯ local. “I’m not ashamed of my eating disorder or the struggles I’ve had. I’ve made so much progress in the past few years. I wish I’d found the courage to seek therapy sooner, but I can’t change that.”
Taking a step back on her own terms
It’s not the first time Sammie has had to take a step back, although on this occasion, it’s entirely on her terms.
Four months before the 2024 Paris Olympics, Cycling New Zealand expressed concerns about Sammie’s health. She was suffering from a range of issues related to disordered eating, including poor reproductive health, low bone density and unregulated hormones.
She agreed to stop competing and training, and started treatment with an eating disorder clinic. Sammie had been through treatment before at 15 when she was first diagnosed with anorexia nervosa [an eating disorder where people severely restrict what they eat, leading to life-threatening weight loss], but admits once she reached a healthy weight, she put her “head in the sand” as her career started to take off.
Sammie was devastated when, after months of work on her health, Cycling NZ still refused to put her forward for selection.
“I was damned if I do, damned if I don’t,” she recalls. “I knew my body was capable and ready to race. But it’s hard when someone with a mental health issue comes to you and says, ‘I’m good, trust me.’”
Seeking treatment
Sammie is all too aware she has a finite number of chances to compete for Olympic glory and wasn’t going to let one of them slip through her fingers, so she appealed to the Sports Tribunal. Less than two weeks before the opening ceremony, she was overjoyed when she received news she would be on the start line.
Although it was an emotionally taxing journey, Sammie appreciates that if Cycling New Zealand hadn’t expressed its concerns, she probably would have lacked the courage and support to seek treatment for her anorexia.
“While the timing wasn’t great, I am grateful that they unapologetically chose my health over performance. Since then, we’ve worked together to develop a really great relationship,” says Sammie, who placed eighth in Paris. “Now I’m working on bone density and I have access to a specialist eating disorder therapist.”
That support helped Sammie cement her place in New Zealand cycling history books. In the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Series, she stormed to overall victory, finishing on the podium nine out of the 10 races in the championship.
Her journey back to health
While she’s proud of how far she has come in managing her eating disorder, Sammie admits she always knew she would have to take an extended break to truly conquer it.
She explains, “When I’m in that environment, it’s really hard to distinguish where my drive comes from. If I ride around the block for an extra 30 seconds during my training, was that driven by the desire to burn calories or from Sammie the cyclist?”
It is especially hard being surrounded by athletes engaged in restrictive eating behaviours and accepting that some of them can happily sit down for a bowl of pasta if they want.
“I have to constantly remind myself that they aren’t in the same situation,” she shares. “I know they would be able to gain weight if they needed to, and would love to go to a café and have coffee and a cake.
“My eating disorder fires up every time I eat a meal. As athletes, we do that 50 percent of our waking day, so I’m spending 50 percent of my life in this fight-or-flight response. It’s really exhausting.”
As she focuses on her treatment, Sammie knows this is the greatest gift she could give herself. “I’m working through my eating disorder. My next goal is to be able to stand on the podium and say, ‘I’ve beaten it.’”
HELP IS HERE
EDANZ – improving outcomes for people with eating disorders and their families. Freephone 0800 2 EDANZ or 0800 233 269. Or in Auckland, (09) 522 2679. Or email info@ed.org.nz
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
