Tajda Šoštarko’s ten-year climb: a Slovenian teenager chasing the MTB world stage

Tajda Šoštarko began racing mountain bikes in Slovenia when she was six. Ten years later, the 16-year-old from Kamnik is balancing school, structured training and a growing international race calendar while building a reputation across cross-country disciplines.

Her grandfather, Boštjan Meglič, contacted ELEV8 MTB to share the story of a rider whose progress has been measured in years of work as much as in medals. The family submission says Tajda has collected 17 Slovenian national championship titles, 92 race victories and 121 podium finishes. Those headline figures are consistent with the athlete profile published by Biketo, which also describes her 2026 season as a historic three-discipline national championship sweep.

The defining result came in 2026, when Tajda won the Slovenian national titles in XCE, XCC and XCO in the same season. That combination demands different skills: explosive speed for elimination racing, repeated high-intensity efforts for short track, and pacing, line choice and endurance for Olympic cross-country. The family submission describes her as the first Slovenian woman to complete that triple in one season.

She also retained the SloXcup overall title, a result that rewards consistency across a full series rather than one standout afternoon. Biketo’s published profile reports that the season included victories at the national championships and another SloXcup win in Domžale on 27 September 2026.

Tajda’s route has included time with Calcit Bike Team before continuing with KD Rajd Ljubljana. She represents Slovenia internationally and studies at Športna gimnazija Šiška in Ljubljana. That combination makes her story relatable to young riders: the next step is not only finding speed, but also organising school, travel, recovery and training around a demanding calendar.

Her international results show a steady progression. The submitted material lists a ninth-place XCO result at the 2024 UEC MTB Youth European Championships in Huskvarna, XCC and XCO appearances at the 2025 European Championships, and a 12th-place XCO result at the 2025 European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje. In 2026 she raced the UEC Youth European Championships at Cheile Grădiștei, finishing 13th in XCO.

The next ambition, according to her grandfather, is to move towards the international MTB elite and ultimately the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. That goal is ambitious, but the foundation is clear: a decade of racing, a season of three national titles, and the discipline required to keep improving when the course, country and competition change.

For younger riders watching from the Philippines and across Asia, Tajda’s example is a useful reminder that elite results are built from small repetitions: learning a line, showing up for the next training session, and staying curious after both wins and setbacks.

*ELEV8 MTB contacted this story as a family-submitted profile. The athlete’s age, results and team details are reported from the supplied material and the linked coverage below; readers should treat future race plans as goals until organisers publish confirmed start lists.*