Vaea is no stranger to elite competition and continuous progression. From winning multiple national titles and achieving top World Cup results in downhill racing, to becoming a decorated Crankworx athlete, Vaea is now focusing on advancing her skills and supporting her peers in the freeride scene.

Before Vaea uncovered her talent for bikes, she was pretty much as athletic as it gets—skiing, snowboarding, gymnastics. When she got introduced to downhill mountain bikes at the age of 17, she was hooked. Stoked to progress and improve, she never looked back.

Vaea raced downhill World Cups from 2010 to 2019 and began attending Crankworx events in 2018. Riding and racing on different bikes in different mountain biking disciplines boosted her excitement for the sport even more. In her debut year, she placed 3rd overall, which motivated her to pursue the Queen of Crankworx title. She went on to win the title two years in a row before finishing 2nd in the overall in 2022.

But in 2019, Vaea discovered the freeride world after attending Red Bull Formation, an event created to open new opportunities for women in freeride mountain biking. Freeride pulled her across to explore pushing new boundaries and is now her true focus.

Now, you’ll find Vaea actively competing at freeride events, jams and filming across the world. When at home, you can find her jumping between small bike to big bike riding her local dirt jumps and trails.

For Vaea, pushing herself doesn't end on the bike. She's enamoured with nature, learning, well-being and sustainability. Priding herself on ensuring all facets of her life revolve around the desire to become a better version of herself and hopes that this process will inspire others to do the same.