They've bonded over two wheels. Now, Chloe Heffernan and Tahlia Dole are ready to power ahead together in their careers.
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The Illawarra cyclists have both signed with Veris Racing, a Western Australian-based team for elite male and female talent.
Heffernan and Dole will represent Veris at major competitions while they have also been supplied with the team's racing gear, including new bikes and helmets.
It's a great opportunity for the pair, who became connected through the Illawarra Academy of Sport.
Heffernan, 21, is an assistant coach while Dole, 17, is in her final year as a student in the cycling program.
"I look up to Chloe as my role model," Albion Park teenager Dole said.
"She's helped me so much, she's an amazing person. I go away on training camps with her, we go away together with races and the amount she does for me is amazing."
Heffernan, of Keiraville, agreed that the pair shared a special bond.
"We've been close for a while," Heffernan said.
"She came in [to the IAS] a few years later than I did so I got to help her along the way, she's my little buddy. It's fun that we get to go to things together and I can share with her my experiences. Even though I'm still learning, I can help her as well."
Veris is the second racing team that Heffernan has represented. She competed on behalf of the Sydney Uni-Staminade in 2018 before deciding to race as an individual last year.
But she's happy to be back in a team environment.
"We get to be part of a team that has both male and females," Heffernan said.
"It will really help my career, especially after having a year off being on a team.
"Having this support means I will have more opportunities to go to races and have the team experience. We get coaching and we will go over there [to Western Australia] for a training camp in a few weeks' time."
Heffernan first became interested in cycling when she was eight years old.
She now gets out on her bike once or twice a day, mixing it up with road, track and ergo sessions along with doing gym work.
"I've got to race on track and road teams for state, but this is the biggest thing I've done so far," she said.
"It's so much fun getting outside and not being cooped up inside."
Meanwhile, Dole was introduced to cycling after watching her dad compete at the Illawarra Velodrome.
Dole increasingly became more interested in the sport and now also trains daily - sometimes up to three sessions a day. The teen said she hoped to achieve several things in the coming year.
"We've been training for state [championships] this weekend. I'm hoping to achieve a medal in every event I do and then hopefully make the NSW team to compete at nationals," she said.
"My goal is definitely building into the next National Road Series in January next year. Last time, I didn't finish the road race, I didn't go as well as I hoped in the time trial but I did get a bronze in the criterium. I just want to improve my results."
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