Optometrist’s career going downhill fast

Optometrist and professional downhill mountain bike racer Jack Reading has won his first British Downhill Series event.

Reading works as a locum at Huddersfield-based Valli Opticians for two-and-a-half days, and then trains for the rest of the week. He has just finished 27th in the world cup series overall ranking.

‘I started racing bikes about 10 years ago and have been racing world cups since 2010. The sport is extreme and I absolutely love the challenge of competing at the highest level against the best in the world,’ he said. ‘The beauty of working as a locum optometrist is that it has given me the opportunity to work as and when it fits in with my busy and varied racing schedule. I have been very fortunate that Moin Valli has given me the chance to train, race and practice as an optometrist.’