I’ve always been a rider who couldn’t sit still. My career was a mix of “What’s next?” and “Why choose one?” Rather than focus on one discipline, I’ve relished exploring many styles of racing.

BMX took me to the Olympics, giving me laser focus, structure, and world titles that still make my heart race. Mountain biking, and Crankworx specifically, gave me something else entirely.

Crankworx is one of the only places in the world where being a multidisciplinary athlete isn’t seen as being unfocused; it’s celebrated. You can race pumptrack on Thursday, rip dual slalom on Friday, drop into speed and style and a downhill course on Saturday, and end the weekend watching the slopestyle finals with friends. For someone like me, who’s always been motivated by crossing genres and pushing boundaries, it was oxygen. Crankworx felt like home.

As much as I loved mountain biking, there was a long time in which I felt like an outsider. I was “the BMX girl who dabbles,” and it wasn’t until I first won the Queen of Crankworx title in 2022 that I felt as though I’d truly earned my stripes. That crown didn’t just represent a season of consistent results; it was validation that being an all-around mountain bike athlete matters. When I heard my name called as Queen, it felt like shedding a skin. The respect level from the community shifted overnight, and for the first time I wasn’t introduced as “Caroline Buchanan, with a BMX background.” I was a mountain biker and, honestly, that meant more to me than I ever expected.