Full name Anna Millward Role Olympic athlete Discipline Road Height 1.63 m | 1999–2002 Saturn Weight 56 kg Name Anna Millward Education Monash University | |
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Born 26 November 1971 (age 52)
Melbourne, Australia ( 1971-11-26 ) | ||
Anna Millward, née Wilson, (born 26 November 1971) is an Australian female cycle racer. During her cycling career, she won the overall UCI points title in 2001, and twice was UCI overall World Cup points champion, winning a total of 5 World Cup races in her career. She also won two silver medals in the UCI Road World Championship competition in 1999 and twice won the Women's Challenge race (1996 and 2000).
In the 2000 Sydney Olympics she finished fourth in both the time trial and the road race. In the 1998 Commonwealth Games, she won gold in the time trial and bronze in the road race, she won a silver in the 2002 Commonwealth Games time trial.
In 2000, a portrait of her by Simon Benz was hung in the Archibald Prize.
Biography
Anna Millward (Wilson until her marriage in 2000) did not start out in life as an athlete. Instead, with the encouragement of her family, especially her father, who died when she was 11 years old, academics were given great emphasis in her upbringing. At that point in life, Millward concentrated on her youthful passion, the sciences. Later, at the urging of a teacher, she pursued a combined law and science degree at Monash University. The study of law gradually gained favor with her until she made it her primary study, eventually graduating with a degree in law in 1996.
It was also while attending university that she discovered her other passion - the bicycle. Initially riding a bicycle commuting to and from school, Millward and some friends decided to enter the Great Victorian Bike Ride, a nine-day recreational tour. Millward traces her passion for the bike to this tour.
Then in 1993, she decided to enter her first race, a lower grade event with her local club which she won. This marked the beginnings of an illustrious cycling career that would lead to many victories in prestigious events.