It’s not often you meet a law graduate who is also a World Championship race winner and title contender. Beatriz Neila meets both criteria, though, graduating during the 2024 season while often riding in the front four, fighting for victory. She made a huge step in 2025, taking the fight to eventual Champion Maria Herrera at every round, winning four races and finishing on the podium in all 12. Speaking for the “I, Woman and Rider” series, Neila expanded on her off-track life, from law studies to family support and much more.

COMBINING LAW WITH RACING: “At the beginning of 2024, it was pretty difficult… It was a challenge, but I did it”

At just 23, Neila is already very accomplished, both on and off the racetrack. The four-time Women’s European Champion was, until last year, combining her racing with full-time university studies in the field of law. No easy feat, as Neila herself admits: “I graduated last year, just after the first WorldWCR round at Misano. I'm so proud because it's super difficult to do the sport and study at the same time. It took me four years, and I now have a law degree plus a master’s in international law. It was tough, especially at first, because it was a new stage for me. But then I started to enjoy the process, and it all became a little easier. When it came to the final year of my university studies, I knew it would be particularly hard because it would coincide with the first year of the WorldWCR Championship. And I was right - at the beginning of 2024, it was pretty difficult with all my classes, exams, presentations, and at the same time I needed to train with a new bike, the R7, very different to the 300 I had been riding before. It was a challenge, but I did it - I graduated and also finished fourth in WorldWCR. I’m a person who finds it difficult to be ‘tranquilla’, I like to be busy, doing many things. And I think that’s how I was able to juggle it all. I'm a person who just works, works, works. I never really felt like I was missing out on university life at all, because I just prefer to be studying or training to be honest!”

CHANGING HER PLANS: “Before WorldWCR was launched, I thought that law was my plan A and sport my plan B”

Neila also spoke about how WorldWCR launching in 2024 changed her future, revealing that she likely would’ve gone into law as a plan A before being able to fight for a World Championship title in WorldWCR: “Before WorldWCR was launched, I thought that law was my plan A and sport my plan B, because it's difficult to reach a high level with the racing. But now, with this championship, my plan B has become my plan A because it means so much to me. I think the championship provides women with a good opportunity to show the world what we can do on a bike, and so I’m fully focused on this right now.

“As for the future, I would like to work as a lawyer, but as a lawyer in sport. My plan has changed because when I started studying, I was thinking of becoming a state attorney, as I also really like politics. I think the fields of sport and law are similar because, when a lawyer is in court, they have advisors, yes, but it's the lawyer who takes the stage and serves as the linchpin. And here it’s the same, because I have the team, but when I put my helmet on, it’s just me and my bike.”

FAMILY SUPPORT: “They basically said, ok, if you pass your exams at school, you can ride, but if you start getting low grades…"

Away from the track, Beatriz acknowledges the role that her family has played in her success. She has a very close relationship with her parents and siblings, all of whom are there for her every step of the way: “My family supports me a lot. If I decide to become a lawyer, they will give me the best support. If I decide to focus on this sport and work to be the best, my family is going to support me a lot with training camps, two days in Valencia, two days in MotorLand, my father saying, ok, we are going to organise this, or we are going to train like that.

“I have two younger siblings, sister Carla and brother Raul. We’re super close, also in age, as I’m 23 and they’re 21 and 20. My brother and I started riding at the same time, but my father originally bought a bike for my brother, not for me, as he considered this a sport for boys, not for girls. My brother found it difficult to juggle riding and school, so in the end my family focused on me. I worked hard, both training in the gym but also with my studies. They basically said, ok, if you pass your exams at school, you can ride, but if you start getting low grades… My brother doesn’t really come to see me at the tracks, but he does a lot of motocross. He's really good and is like a teacher to me, giving me tips and advice, which is so nice. The three of us – my brother, my sister and I – are like a “piña”, a tribe. My sister is my everything and we are together every hour of every day.”

Re-live an incredible 2025 WorldWCR campaign on the WorldWCR YouTube channel and follow the Championship on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.