Perverse that leukaemia, acute liver failure, congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease might solve my rather unique problem but I was desperate man...
The cycling team I coach had cleaned up in the World Games in South Africa this year creating 9 new world champions and winning 19 medals with a team of seven men and six women. It made the riders part of one of most successful British cycling teams ever in international competition. Fantastic stuff, but it makes progression a sticky subject. I mean, how do we top that?
To put it simply, my problem was that taking nothing away from the amazing performance of double bronze medal winner Simon Ripley, we were short of young men aged between 18-40 to ensure the continued development of the team. Furthermore, I needed these guys to have been ill. Properly ill, like death’s door ill.
The cycling team I coach had cleaned up in the World Games in South Africa this year creating 9 new world champions and winning 19 medals with a team of seven men and six women. It made the riders part of one of most successful British cycling teams ever in international competition. Fantastic stuff, but it makes progression a sticky subject. I mean, how do we top that?
To put it simply, my problem was that taking nothing away from the amazing performance of double bronze medal winner Simon Ripley, we were short of young men aged between 18-40 to ensure the continued development of the team. Furthermore, I needed these guys to have been ill. Properly ill, like death’s door ill.
You see the only way you qualify for this unique GB team is to have beaten a life threatening disease with the assistance of a life supporting organ transplant, most commonly bone marrow, liver, and kidney or in Simon’s case, a heart. Oh, I guess it kinda helps if you can ride a bike too but we can work on that.
In the most peculiar of ways, my luck was in. It was truly heart rending to hear stories of young athletes with dreams of competing at 2012 Olympic dashed by illness but equally inspiring to hear stories of amazing recoveries aided by skilled medics, powerful drugs and the altruism of heroic but often unnamed and unknown donors.
In the most peculiar of ways, my luck was in. It was truly heart rending to hear stories of young athletes with dreams of competing at 2012 Olympic dashed by illness but equally inspiring to hear stories of amazing recoveries aided by skilled medics, powerful drugs and the altruism of heroic but often unnamed and unknown donors.
It’s inspiring and humbling people can overcome illness and disappointment so quickly and become determined to make the very best of their newly found circumstances: to re-dedicate themselves to training once more whilst coping with immunosuppression and recovery from surgery. Perhaps less fantastic there are now half a dozen would-be world beating cyclists who I will coach to a position where they can kick my ass on a bike of course but that’s another story... ;)
October saw the first coming together of the GBTx cycling team since returning from the World Transplant Games in Durban and was heralded as a ‘Winter Masterclass’. It was an attempt to induct the new riders to the joys of winter training and re-base the programs of the current team for domestic competition next season. There was much talk of ‘volume’, club runs, zone 2/3, rollers, turbo trainers and the like.
October saw the first coming together of the GBTx cycling team since returning from the World Transplant Games in Durban and was heralded as a ‘Winter Masterclass’. It was an attempt to induct the new riders to the joys of winter training and re-base the programs of the current team for domestic competition next season. There was much talk of ‘volume’, club runs, zone 2/3, rollers, turbo trainers and the like.
It was my opportunity to see the riders on the circuit at Stourport and start to build up a picture of where they stand in the whole ‘pedalling a bike’ rankings. I came away from the session buzzing with excitement about the potential of this team. Not only to beat the best of the world’s transplant cyclists but also to dedicate themselves to raising awareness of transplantation and organ donation by racing bikes. A blunt tool to use for a delicate and emotive subject? Possibly, but it’s all we’ve got and use it we will.
I honestly didn’t think this team could get any better but it just has. We now have hard working riders across all the age categories for the Transplant Games who will be honing their skills in a domestic time trial, circuit race or track event somewhere near you whilst we are prepare for our next events, the European Games in Poland and the British Transplant Games in August 2014.
I honestly didn’t think this team could get any better but it just has. We now have hard working riders across all the age categories for the Transplant Games who will be honing their skills in a domestic time trial, circuit race or track event somewhere near you whilst we are prepare for our next events, the European Games in Poland and the British Transplant Games in August 2014.
If you see the distinctive kit, come and have a chat with us.
Cheers
‘Coach’
Cheers
‘Coach’
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