GNCCRacing.com: Hannah let’s go back to the beginning. What got you start riding and eventually racing GNCC. 

Hannah Hunter: I started riding when I was 6 or 7 on a little Kawasaki 50 atv. My dad got me into racing locals which eventually I started doing really well so we went and tried a couple of GNCC's. My dad used to go to all of the GNCC’s with an old XC1 Pro (Matt Smiley), of which my dad was his pit crew. Then I started racing the full GNCC schedule in 2010 which led me here.

Coming off back to back WXC Championships. Which one was harder?

I would have to say the second one was definitely harder. I put a lot of pressure on myself. I mean I did have a huge target on my back from winning 12 of the 13 rounds the first championship. Plus all the WXC ladies had a killer year and kept me on my toes all year.

Obviously, the expectation is to go after number three. How are you feeling heading into 2022?

Heading into 2022 I'm feeling more confident and excited to start racing in less than a week. I’m putting the last touches on my quad as we speak. Lol

You and Kate took it down to the wire last year. Obviously, Kate is a name everyone is watching out for. Who else comes to mind in the class as a standout contender?

I would say everyone in that class is going to be a great contender. I mean they all are coming after me afterall. But some big names this year are Jessica Elioff she won 2 rounds last year and Emily Wise who had multiple podium finishes.

How has your offseason been going? What has training looked like for you?

The offseason went pretty good but also super-fast. As far as training, I went down toFlorida for a week with my boyfriend. My boyfriend and I tried our best to ride every weekendwe could. If it meant traveling a little or riding in the snow and mud, we got it done. I’d have to say I got a lot of seat time this offseason big thanks to him.

When you’re not racing, what do you like to do for fun?

I like to do really anything outside that will keep me busy and keep a smile on my face.When I'm not racing, I'm usually riding every weekend. I actually just bought an ebike so I'mhoping to have some fun adventures with my expensive electric bike. 

Who are the riders you look up to? 

The person i look up to the most is Traci Pickens she is straight badass. Ever since I was a little kid, I looked up to her and now to this day I still look up to her. She is holding 12 women pro championships and she won a couple of those after she had a kid. She is also still racing and kicking our butts.

Traci Pickens holds the most WXC Championships. Think you’ve got the longevity to take a shot at breaking her record someday?

That’s the goal to beat her record of 12 championships. I'm only 19 so I think I have agood chance at beating it. All I gotta do is keep my head straight and stay healthy.

I’ll put you on the spot, give me your top three WXC Riders for Big Buck this weekend?

In no specific order I think Me, Jessica, Kate 

Who would you like to thank?

God first, Mom and Dad, my boyfriend(Steven Harrell), Gaby and Brad Whitehead, Matto cycles, Teixeira tech, Fly, Obor, HMF, Hiper, Nine 2, Stone concepts, Quadtech, Malaska, Rick Cecco, RJR, Tireballs, Casey Greek, Impact solutions, Elka Suspension, Dp brakes (Larry Mills), Powermadd, IMS, Galfer, Mika, Ls4, Fast Forward racing, Powermist, Pro-Graphx, Motion Pro, Works Connection, Hinson, Evans Coolant, and Sunstar