Destined never to race a GP on home soil and , in fact , she has always had to travel the farthest to compete on this world stage , Duncan endured three frustrating seasons of “ so close , but yet so far ” before her breakthrough success , winning her first world title in 2019 . But she proved again that Kiwis can fly , following in the wheel tracks of fellow New Zealand motocross riders who became world champions – New Plymouth ’ s Shayne King ( 500cc motocross world champion in 1996 ), Taupo ’ s Ben Townley ( MX2 world champion in 2004 ), Pukekohe ’ s Katherine Prumm ( women ’ s world cup champion in 2006 and 2007 ), Pukekohe ’ s Tony Cooksley ( veterans ’ world champion in 2007 ) and Hawera ’ s Daryl Hurley ( veterans ’ world champion in 2018 ). Like her male counterparts , Duncan has always had to fight “ behind enemy lines ”, so to speak , most of her rivals much more familiar with the predominantly European tracks ,
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