IF Tracey Hannah had as much money as she did talent then life would be much easier for the Cairns mountain bike rider.

Unfortunately ability does not pay for cycling equipment, it cannot buy you plane tickets and alone it cannot sustain any type of lifestyle.

A lack of sponsorship dollars and an alarmingly high credit card bill caused Hannah to announce in May she had withdrawn from the World Cup downhill circuit this year to work fulltime.

Six months on and Hannah, who is employed in business administration, said she still did not have the money reserves or sponsorship deals required to compete at an international level in 2009.

"Things can turn around but it’s very hard to chase sponsors to compete abroad," the 20-year-old said.

"I think it’ll get even harder with the global financial crisis at the moment. Everyone is tightening their belts.

"Some people have said to me you haven’t tried hard enough, you haven’t pushed hard enough.

"That always p----ed me off a bit actually because they weren’t in my shoes, they don’t know what it’s like."

Hannah proved herself a rare talent in mountain biking in her early teens.

By the age of 14 she had won the first of her five national downhill titles and in 2006 she was crowned world junior champion.

The following year she competed in the elite section of the World Cup circuit, finishing third overall in the series and third at the World Championships.

But while it spawned satisfaction, Hannah’s success did not breed the revenue required to train and race fulltime.

While older brother and fellow mountain biker Mick Hannah is fortunate enough to have deals in place to continue competing overseas, Hannah has been left in Australia with the impression women are overlooked in her sport.

"It’s absolutely awesome for
Mick and I’m so proud of him but it’s a bit hard sometimes," Hannah said.

"Girls get ignored a bit by sponsors. We’re kind of expected to find our own way, which is a bit ridiculous.

"It is particularly hard coming from Australia.

"If you come from Europe they seem to be happier to help you out a little bit more."

For the moment Hannah is keeping her riding to a minimum, admitting she is still adjusting to a life where mountain biking is not her sole focus.

"Every time I did it felt like I was training. But for what?

"I miss it like you wouldn’t believe. It’s the thing that I loved doing the most.

"Who knows though? If things did turn around I would go back to it in a second."

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