Jess Gardiner, Paying It Forward

At just 29 years of age, Australia's queen of off-road racing, Jess Gardiner, has already claimed just about every major title she set her sights on, and she is showing no sign of slowing down soon. Despite her busy workload, Jess has always made a point of giving back to the sport in anyway she can. Testament to this is her involvement in the recent filming of the Yamaha Motor Journey global film series, shot by a film crew visiting from Yamaha Motor Company in Japan. What started as a request for Jess to assist with a planned off-road day, quickly blossomed into an offer for coaching, and taking on a starring role in the film, joining in the week-long action aboard a Yamaha MT-10SP.

"When Yamaha called and asked if I could provide a day of riding trails around our family property, the conversation quickly turned to coaching for the riders, and me joining the crew for the road ride segment, it turned out to be an amazing adventure," explains Jess. "There also seemed to be a desire for a true Aussie-themed day for the Japanese visitors, so we enlisted Jeremy to put on a traditional Aussie barbecue for everyone. Okay, he's French, but he really does make a good down to earth Aussie too."

"The conversation quickly turned to coaching for the riders, and me joining the crew for the road ride segment"

What transpired was a memorable week of on-road, off-road, and on-water Yamaha activities highlighted by the filming of the second film in the three film series at Jess' Offroad Riding Institute, an undulating parcel of land nestled in the Singleton Shire village of Putty. The Japanese visitors could not have asked for anything more Australian. 

"By the time we arrived at our property for a day of off-road coaching, I'd already spent two days with Rei (Fukuchi) and Mizuki (Sashide), and we had become great friends," explains Jess. "I could see that Rei was quite an accomplished rider, however, Mizuki had zero off-road riding experience. The challenge was to identify areas to work on so I could get them to a point where I was confident to take them both for a ride through the trails that snake through the property."

Judging by the smiles and high-fives shared following the ride, the coaching clinic was a huge success, with Jess' students still running on nervous energy, adrenalin, and excitement as they sat down to sample the delights of an Aussie rissole.

For Mizuki Sashide, riding a Yamaha TT-R230, it was her first taste of off-road riding “I was so nervous, but Jess was very patient and kind,” she said. “Thanks to her, I was able to move forward from beginner to riding on the dirt without fear, I felt the same feeling as when I rode a motorcycle for the very first time. This is something I want to do more of when I return to Japan, so I can be better next time I see Jess.”

To ensure the overseas visitors received a true off-road experience, Nick Marshall, Head of Marketing for Land Mobility at Yamaha Motor Australia, took Rei and Mizuki for a spirited ride through the bushland in a Yamaha Viking SE ROV. Yamaha's latest YDX-Moro 07 e-MTBs were also used to hit the trails in the latest range of mountain bike wear from ShopYamaha. 

“By the time we arrived at our property for a day of off-road coaching we had become great friends”