Cycling golden girl Rebecca 'IT WAS THE PERFECT DAY,

The Olympian and her husband tied the knot in a beautiful,  fun-filled ceremony complete with a dramatic first dance

-  Amy Prebble

0lympic cyclist Rebecca Petch only managed to snatch four hours of shut-eye the night before her wedding to long-term partner Jarrod Browning.

"I was too excited to sleep!" the BMX champion-turned-track cyclist confesses to Woman's Day. "But then when I woke up, I felt pretty relaxed. I was surrounded by my amazing bridesmaids. It was so special to have them all there. Whatever I needed, they helped with."

Rebecca's bridal party included her maid of honour, BMX star Baylee Luttrell, along with close friend Emma O'Keeffe, sister-in-law Emma Bethell and cousin Hayley Smith. The women spent the morning at an Airbnb, lounging in specially made matching dressing gowns, chatting, getting their hair and makeup done, and toasting the occasion with a glass of sparkling rosé.

For spouting specialist Jarrod, 26, it was a relaxed morning of golf with Rebecca's brother Cameron Petch, who was also his best man. Jarrod and Cameron met while racing each other in BMX, and his groomsmen, Joshua Jordan, Harris Thurgood and Rob Nepia are all pretty handy on a bike as well.

Rebecca with her "amazing" bridesmaids (from left) Emma Bethell, Baylee, Hayley and Emma O'Keeffe.

"The wedding party is definitely a very BMX group," chuckles Jarrod. "I've known them basically all my life. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch."

The couple picked Takapoto Estate, a stunning 242-hectare property that sits on the waterfront on Lake Karapiro, for their big day after Jarrod proposed to Rebecca in Rotorua in December 2020.