Natalie Kane doesn’t need much of an introduction when it comes to WMX. A former GP winner and a 12 time podium visitor – she helped put Ireland on the Motocross map.
After 2019, she decided to retire and recently became a mother. However, she has been announced that she will be making a racing comeback in 2025 – contesting the Swedish Championship on Husqvarna machinery.
It is a series she knows very well having contested it and won the series in the past. First up on the schedule is MXGP track, Uddevalla as it hosts round one of the series this weekend.
We caught up with her to discuss her return to racing and why she stopped in 2019…
“This all came about because in 2019 I decided to stop racing. I quit because of an injury and was hating that year. I was really tired working full time and trying to compete at the highest level. I was doing a lot of things myself aside from Frida and my family who helped and that is appreciated. The difference is that I didn’t always have the full time job”.
“Trying to do that then having a few bad injuries, the sponsorship wasn’t really there. I had to work my ass off and right up until the last minute. I would have worked right up until 4PM on a Friday and then raced the Swedish championship – then back to work on the Monday. For example, when I raced Portugal for WMX in 2019, I left Sweden right at the last minute because I could only take three days off work. It sucked the fun out of it and then with an injury, I didn’t want to see a bike again.”
The decision to walk away wasn’t an easy one, but it came at a time when the pressure of balancing a full-time job, limited support, and the physical toll of the sport proved too much. That break from the sport eventually made room for a new chapter in life—motherhood.
“I had been toying with the idea of racing again back in Ireland but then I recently became a Mother. I knew after I got settled down with the child (Saxton) who is now only 9 weeks old, that I wanted to get back to racing again in 2025 – this was always in my mind. I looked up and got a trainer so I had a plan – I didn’t want to over train and do anything wrong whilst being pregnant.”
Despite the demands of a newborn and a 9-5 job, the motivation to return started to grow. With a clear plan in place, preparations for a comeback began well before most would expect.
“The last few weeks of pregnancy I didn’t do too much for obvious reasons but I did plan from May last year that I was going to race and prepared the best that I could. I’ve done the best I could training wise and I’m taking it seriously but at the same time I still have a job, a 9-5 job as well as a child. But like everything I do, I’ll do it 100% and see how it goes but the main thing is to just enjoy it and have some fun. It’s a bit last minute for the first round of the Swedish Championship but thanks to everybody including Frida who have helped to make this possible. We’ll go in with an open mind, hope to come out healthy and take it from there.”
A recent photo posted online brought an unexpected boost of motivation. Sometimes, all it takes is a small spark to reignite the fire.
“I will be home I think around May to visit everyone. I might do some riding then but I won’t be racing then at home – but maybe before the end of the year, we’ll see how it goes. I actually saw the photo that you guys put up of me on the podium (with Cole and Gordy) and that got me motivated, I went out three days after that to go riding. Jack Meara also sent me a message saying he thinks I would still ride good.”
That connection to home remains strong, and returning to Ireland isn’t just about racing—it’s about reconnecting with friends, family, and the fun that motocross brings.
“I hope to get home to Ireland more often so everyone can see Saxton. It would be nice to ride at home for some fun. Now that I’ve had Saxton, I am so much happier in life and it isn’t as stressful. I plan to race at home so we’ll see – it would be good to have the craic to ride with all the Meara’s.”
And while the focus for now is on getting back to racing and finding that balance, a wildcard WMX entry isn’t completely out of the question.
“I would love to race a WMX World Championship round but only if I felt fit and ready 100%, not even results wise. I would just want to go there and know I could compete and not blowing out my ass hating it (laughs).”
After time away, the return to racing is about much more than results. It’s about passion, resilience, and showing that even with all of life’s changes, the love for motocross never really fades.
