A Weekend at Jemma Wilson’s Camp Out

For someone who spends the majority of their time reading about, watching, and documenting dirt bikes, my actual riding experience — until just recently — was a solid zero. I made it my 2025 resolution to seriously commit to getting on a bike and finally experiencing what it’s all about. Enter Jemma Wilson’s Camp Out weekend, which felt like the perfect way to kickstart my riding journey.

Held on private property just north of Gympie, QLD, Thursday night’s rain had left the ground soft and slick— far from ideal learning conditions — but that didn’t dampen the energy, and fortunately, the weather held off for the entire weekend. Set in a bit of a haven at the bottom of a hill, Friday saw around 30 women arrive, bikes in tow, and set up camp. Thanks to the crew at MPE Motorcycles, I got to spend the weekend on a lowered 2025 Husqvarna FE250. Not gonna lie — jumping straight on a “big” bike was a bit nerve-wracking, but it was well worth the learning curve.

Riding kicked off early Saturday with warm-up laps around the grass track before we moved into coaching. Jemma’s sessions were practical, fun, and full of tips I never knew I needed. Saturday covered basic riding techniques like standing position, braking, and even skids down the hill. Sunday stepped things up, with cornering, logs, and gullies on the cards. I chose to sideline myself for that – not wanting to get ahead of myself, and also to spend some time capturing the event. I’d been pre-warned that I was going to be “thrown in the deep end,” and that turned out to be very true given my lack of riding experience — but in my opinion, it was totally worth it.

My Friday one-on-one coaching session with Jemma really came in clutch — it gave me the confidence I carried throughout the weekend, a solid learning base, and time to get familiar with the bike before diving into coaching. My biggest struggle? Definitely the bike’s weight, and being on the shorter side didn’t help either. But by the end of the weekend, I’d noticeably improved my overall bike handling. And I gained a newfound respect for the term “bike-fit”— which, clearly, I am not, by no surprise. It’s safe to say, I’ll definitely be teeing up more coaching with Jemma in the future.

One of the biggest takeaways from the weekend, though, was the environment — and the people. There was absolutely no pressure to perform, and everyone genuinely wanted to help, and they did! The support was constant, whether it came from the coaches, the riders, or the behind-the-scenes crew handling everything non-bike-related. It was truly a “takes a village” kind of weekend.

I may have broken a couple of levers, stalled more times than I’d like to admit, and gotten very familiar with picking up a 100kg+ bike — but more than anything, I left with a deep respect for anyone who rides, and eager to spend more time on the bike.

Jemma Wilson’s Camp Out events provide the space to mess up, laugh it off, learn a ton, and — more than anything — the push to just keep trying and get better. If you’re a gal who’s ever thought about giving it a go — whether you’re new to riding or have some experience — these Camp Outs are a great opportunity to learn new skills, improve the ones you’ve already got, and meet some awesome moto-gals.

You can check out what Jemma is all about here, and what events she has planned for the rest of 2025!