From Monday to Friday, you’ll usually find Eilish Gilbert supporting her CP colleagues, reviewing accounts for various clients as a key member of our Business Services & Outsourcing (BS&O) team.
When the weekend comes, however, you’re more likely to spot Eilish hurtling up and down hills at blistering speeds on her trusty mountain bike.
Simply staying upright requires a certain amount of skill – something anyone who’s dipped their toe into the mountain biking world can attest to.
Being selected to represent Great Britain in the Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships? Skilful doesn’t cover it. And on 6th September, Eilish will be heading to Switzerland to do just that.
We caught up with Eilish to hear more about the journey to the pinnacle of her sport – and how working for CP has helped her along the way.
“WE WANT TO BE LIKE DAD”
Eilish started racing in 2018, but she’s been riding a mountain bike for as long as she can remember. Growing up next to Mortimer Forest in Ludlow, Eilish would hit the trails every Sunday with her family, who were accomplished mountain bikers in their own right.
In particular, her father, who had the chance to represent Great Britain in the sport when Eilish was only one year old.
“We want to be like Dad,” Eilish and her sister would say. Now, she’s following in his footsteps and continuing the family legacy.
BATTLING IT OUT WITH THE WORLD’S BEST
The 2025 Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships kick off on 6 September 2025, as the world’s top endurance mountain bikers gather in Verbier, Switzerland.
The marathon race will follow the legendary Grand Raid BCVS course, starting in Verbier and finishing in Grimentz, with riders tackling a challenging alpine route that includes steep climbs, technical descents and breathtaking scenery.
In a spectacular showcase of endurance, skill and grit, Eilish will be competing for the coveted rainbow jersey in one of the sport’s most demanding formats.
HOW WE’RE SUPPORTING EILISH EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
Our Work From Anywhere. Anytime. Forever (WFAAF) and open holiday policies have meant Eilish hasn’t had to put the brakes on her training, and to her unquestionable credit, the impacts have been huge.
“I didn’t actually expect to qualify for the World Championships this year,” she told us. “But after finishing second in the national cross-country series they gave me a discretionary place.”
To help make sure the opportunity didn’t go to waste, we’re also sponsoring Eilish in the race, so she can take her rightful place on the start line in Switzerland come 6 September.
When she’s there, she’ll be dressed for the occasion, sort of… After asking Eilish if she had any pre-race superstitions, she told us:
“I always paint my nails and put make-up on, which is crazy because I’m not a ‘girly girl’, I don’t usually do that, and I’ll be wearing full-fingered gloves and a helmet in the race! But it calms me down and helps me feel prepared.”
One thing’s clear: it’s working, and we’ll be cheering Eilish on as she aims to end this season on a high and take next year’s national championships by storm.
