Rachel Laura Atherton (born 6 December 1987, near Salisbury) is a professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill mountain bike racing, and is a multiple national champion. She began riding BMX at the age of 8 and mountain biking at the age of 11. She was both Sunday Times' Sportswoman of the Year and BBC Midlands Junior Sportswoman of the Year in 2005, and then BBC Midlands Sportswoman of the Year in 2008.
Since 2007 Rachel Atherton has been part of the Animal Commençal race team along with brothers Dan Atherton and Gee Atherton.
In June 2008 Rachel Atherton became the first British woman to win the Elite UCI Downhill World Championship, defeating second placed Sabrina Jonnier by 11.99 seconds in the final.
Rachel Atherton was involved in an accident with a pickup truck whilst on a time trial training ride with brothers Dan and Gee in Santa Cruz, California, on January 18, 2009. She sustained a dislocated shoulder which, after later needing a nerve graft, ruled her out of the 2009 racing season, including the September World Championships in Canberra.
Rachel (Hebrew: רחל, Modern Raḥel Tiberian Rāḫēl, Rāḥēl ISO 259-3 Raḥel ; meaning "ewe") as described in the Bible, is a prophet and the favorite wife of Jacob, one of the three Biblical Patriarchs, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She was the daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah, Jacob's first wife. Jacob was her first cousin, and she was the youngest niece of Rebecca.
Rachel is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 29 when Jacob happens upon her as she is watering her lamb. He had traveled a great distance to find his mother's brother, Laban. Rebekah had sent him there to be safe from his furious twin brother, Esau.
During Jacob's stay, he fell in love with Rachel and agreed to work seven years for Laban in return for her hand in marriage. On the night of the wedding, the bride was veiled and Jacob did not notice that Leah, Rachel's older sister, had been substituted for Rachel. Whereas "Rachel was lovely in form and beautiful," "Leah had tender eyes". Later Jacob confronted Laban, who excused his own deception by insisting that the older sister should marry first. He assured Jacob that after his wedding week was finished, he could take Rachel as a wife as well, and work another seven years as payment for her.
George David Atherton, known as Gee Atherton (born 26 February 1985, near Salisbury, England) is a professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill and four cross mountain bike racing, and is a multiple national champion, multiple World Cup winner, and 2010 downhill World Cup Champion.
Since 2007, Gee has been one third of the Animal Commençal racing team, alongside brother Dan Atherton and sister Rachel Atherton.
Gee, along with Rachael and Dan, is the star of the web series "The Atherton Project" a series which follows their day to day lives. In 2012 Gee will be racing for GT racing.
Gee appeared on the BBC's Top Gear (series 7), racing a Renault Clio down the streets of Lisbon and winning.
Manon Rose Carpenter (born 11 March 1993) is a professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill mountain bike racing.
She was inspired to take up the sport by her father, Jason, a BMX track builder who is also her coach. Carpenter attended St. Martin's Comprehensive School, Caerphilly and is taking a gap year to concentrate on her sport before studying a science and Spanish degree in Manchester.
In 2011, Manon Carpenter won the Junior UCI Downhill World Championship and the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup overall.