Bridie O'Donnell is a public servant, author, sports broadcaster, medical practitioner and former professional road cyclist. She represented Australia at the 2008, 2009 and 2010 UCI Road World Championships.
O'Donnell was a medical practitioner and surgical assistant before taking up cycling, and later returned to medicine to work in health assessment.
On 22 January 2016 O'Donnell broke the Women's Hour record at the Adelaide Super-Drome. She rode 46.882 kilometres, exceeding the distance set by Molly Shaffer Van Houweling the previous September by 609 metres.
Post cycling career O'Donnell is a medical doctor, graduating from the University of Queensland's school of medicine in 1998, and was appointed the inaugural head of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation for the Victorian State Government in 2017. She was employed by Australian TV network Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) as a commentator for the 2020 Tour de France, the first woman to do so for SBS. She has continued to commentate on every Tour de France since.Bigger than the Olympics: Bridie O'Donnell on the Tour de France's highs and lows Sydney Morning Herald 20 June 2024
In May 2021 O'Donnell was appointed to the board of the Collingwood Football Club. She came under fire for being a Western Bulldogs supporter and not having been a club member for the required two years.Awkward photo in Collingwood board room war News.com.au 19 May 2021 She resigned after four months after accepting a COVID-19 response role with the Department of Health.Collingwood board member Bridie O’Donnell resigns four months after being elected ABC News 16 September 2021
In November 2021 she was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.
Major results
2007 1st Time trial, Oceania Road Championships 2nd Chrono des Nations 7th Chrono Champenois – Trophée Européen 2008 1st Time trial, National Road Championships 4th Chrono des Nations 10th Memorial Davide Fardelli 2009 1st Time trial, Oceania Road Championships (January) Oceania Road Championships (November) 1st Road race 3rd Time trial 2nd Overall Tour de PEI 5th Chrono Champenois 7th Memorial Davide Fardelli 2010 National Road Championships 2nd Road race 2nd Time trial 8th Memorial Davide Fardelli 2011 Oceania Road Championships 2nd Road race 2nd Time trial 4th Time trial, National Road Championships 2012 3rd Time trial, Oceania Road Championships 3rd Time trial, National Road Championships 2013 7th Chrono des Nations 2014 3rd Time trial, National Road Championships Oceania Road Championships 5th Time trial 10th Road race 2015 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships 2016 World Hour record 46.882 km (22 January 2016) 2nd Time trial, Oceania Road Championships
Works Life and death : a cycling memoir, Melbourne : Slattery Media Group, 2018. ,
References
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