Chloe has been announced as one of the latest recipients of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) World Olympian grants, receiving $1,000 USD to get more women on bikes and support women in cycling.

After retirement two years ago, the decorated Australian cyclist began to bring to life a program to help break down barriers to entry into the Olympic sport. The Hosking Women in Sport Scholarship - Cycling program was born with the aim of building resilience, determination and commitment through community, mentorship and connection.

The grant will fund an elite, world-class racing bike to a young rider as part of a nationwide search. It’s just the beginning, she confidently declares, because the theory is simple.

“Whether you’re a competitive person or not, the more people we get riding bikes, the bigger the pool of talent we see grow. We want to lift people up and provide a connection to the Olympics early – these kinds of experiences in sport can’t be understated for young people,” she said.

Chloe remembers her first Olympic connection. When she was 15 she met members of Australia’s elite racing team, and among them was dual Olympian Oenone Wood who competed at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

“I was immediately in awe of her,” Chloe admitted.

“She gave me the opportunity to race with her in Geelong and for her to invest even that small amount of time with me meant a lot.”

Chloe now has the opportunity to create more of these impactful moments for young people and in particular, young girls and women. Her goal is to build a charity that funds bikes for young women trying to break into cycling, but it doesn’t stop with one bike.

She wants to be able to provide bikes, mentors and the Olympic connection to as many women as she can.

“It’s about breaking down the barriers, and you can do that with good equipment, with really good quality bikes, a safe, inclusive, welcoming environment and access to role models, like athletes and retired Olympians (across many sports) that can share experiences and perspective,” Chloe said.

All the moving parts are coming together. The 34-year-old has just completed her law degree and has built great momentum with the Hosking Bunch, a social group of junior riders in the Australian Capital Territory. Her act of giving back to this ever-expanding group of aspiring young athletes is fuelling the potential for the Hosking Women in Sport program.

“I get asked some of the best questions by our young riders,” she said.

“I loved getting asked ‘do you know this person and that person?’ Why those kinds of questions are amazing is because it means they’re watching them, they follow their races. So I can explain to them what makes them so successful. We can talk about what they do in similar situations, and training sessions. They’re all so hungry to learn.”

For Chloe, sport has been part of her whole life, she’s learned so much and gained an impressive set of skills. Now in her retirement from professional sport, she’s on a mission to pass on the joy and confidence she’s gained to as many of the next generation as she can, and her energy for the Hosking Women in Sport program is incredibly inspiring.

“Sport creates confident, capable people; and who doesn’t want to feel confident!” she said.

“It brings you into a community, it gives you a space to discover your strengths and work on your weaknesses. The skills you gain are with you for life and I am glad that I can now work to ensure more people can experience the transformative power of sport.”

Find out more about the Hosking Women in Sport Sponsorship Program.