Jamaican cyclist Jordanio James is charting new territory at the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Cyclo-cross Training Camp in Aigle, Switzerland, where she is the sole Jamaican and only black athlete among the 30 riders selected worldwide.

The camp, held at UCI headquarters from November 10 to 17, 2025, is one of the most prestigious technical development programmes in global cycling.

James, a Merl Grove High School graduate who currently attends Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Georgia, USA, has already made history by becoming the first Jamaican woman to actively pursue cyclo-cross, a demanding, winter-season discipline virtually unknown in the Caribbean.

Her journey to Switzerland began when the Jamaica Cycling Federation forwarded her an application from UCI, cycling’s world governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee . With only 30 available spots, she submitted her details and waited anxiously for the decision. When the message came that she had been accepted, it marked a defining moment for her budding career.

But the transition into the sport has been anything but easy.

Cyclo-cross racing — with its blend of steep hills, mud, grass, pavement, and barriers that force riders to dismount, run, carry their bikes, and remount in rapid succession — requires a unique combination of agility, technical ability, and power.

James entered the camp with almost no background in these technical demands. In fact, she didn’t even own a cyclo-cross bike in Jamaica and is currently using a borrowed bike in Switzerland, one that is outdated and unfamiliar.

“The camp has been really difficult because I am very new to this area of cycling,” she explained. “The techniques have been really difficult for me to learn in such a short time, given I didn’t have a bike to practice before. The bike I’m using isn’t mine, and it’s not as up-to-date as it should be. So the comfort and bonding I should have with the bike is not there.”

Despite the challenges, James is absorbing everything she can, especially from the elite coaching staff leading the programme. Among them is Eva Lechner, the former cyclo-cross world champion whose tactical knowledge and technical mastery are considered among the best in the sport. The highly regarded Ed Collins and Sven Vanthourenhout also constitute the world-class coaching staff.

Training under coaches of the calibre of Lechner, Collins and Vanthourenhout has been “an incredible privilege”, James said, noting how the hands-on instruction is accelerating her understanding of the discipline.

Though the days have been physically and mentally demanding, James leans heavily on prayer, discipline, and the unwavering encouragement from her personal coach Arthur Compass, along with her family and friends.

“One thing I use to get through each moment at the camp is to not give up and keep praying,” she said. “The motivation from my personal coach, my family, and my friends keeps me going.”

For James, the experience, though tough, is profoundly transformative. The knowledge she is gaining, she said, is invaluable as she works to build a foundation not only for herself but for the emergence of cyclo-cross as a new competitive outlet for Jamaican cycling.

“I think this experience is really great, and I have gained a lot of experience and knowledge from this camp. I am really grateful.”