My pathway
is different to your usual “Aussie cyclist.” As quite frankly I was never quite
good enough. I narrowly missed National Team selection for the World Championships
last year and have struggled my entire riding career to even make the cut as a
scholarship holder and any Institute of Sport. Without the help and guidance of
Dave Sanders last year however, I don't know where I would be now.
Anyway, as I have always been a little behind the 8-ball, I have tried to break
away from the tradition Aussie pathway. You see many young Australians, go
through the State Institute to the AIS Pathway but for me I have unfortunately
not been granted the privilege of following this world class program although
that dream is still there. For me, here I am sitting in Belgium, in my small
apartment in a town named Buggenhout. With the help, guidance and the sole
belief that one day I can make it to the big time in cycling, Kurt Bogaerts and
the An-Post Chainreaction Cycling team have granted me a second life in the
pursuit of my cycling dream.
I arrived
in Belgium roughly one month ago and I couldn’t be happier. It is a different
world to the National Road Series back home. The training is harder, longer, and
colder and the racing is tough and long, however I couldn’t be happier. For
anyone that told me the jump would be massive, they are correct. Although I may
have swan dived into the deep end off a 10 meter platform I seem to have been
able to start my long journey back to the surface of the water. I didn’t finish
my first race in Belgium, however the experience and journey I have learnt from
racing Kuurne-Brussels- Kuurne is one far from at home and one that I would not
get racing in the National Road Series.
For any junior
that has just missed the cut like I did for so many years, there is a way to
still reach your full potential. Maybe for some it isn’t diving in the deep end
as a young 18 year old in Belgium, but there is always another way. Although I
still have a long way to go, I seem to have found my feet and with the belief
Kurt and An-Post have shown me I know I can only go up from here.
For now I
will return to some hard training on the quest to reach the pinnacle of
professional cycling.