Welcome. Welcome to my sporting history. If you’ve found this page, you must be looking to know a little bit more about me.
Let’s begin with, I am a racing cyclist from Surrey, UK, competing in road races and time trials in Belgium and England. In 2022 I am racing my 3rd year in the U23 category for road races on a Belgium team called Mini Discar Cycling Team. 2022 has immense opportunities and experiences in store for me, which I am incredibly excited about grabbing with both hands.
Before I go into my cycling history, I thought I’d take you back a bit further in my sporting history. Right back to when I was starting out primary school aged 4/5. I’ve been an athlete my entire life, striving for that sense of tactical competition in beating someone else for the win. I also, as many children did, dreamed of the Olympics and being an Olympian. This dream started out in the form of gymnastics from 2-years-old until 9-years-old. I’ve done a lot of sports to a fairly high level for each respective age group. I gave my all every single time. During my Gymnast years I was also progressing through the ranks at Guildford City Swimming Club. Every 7 AM, Saturday morning at the pool, and then straight to the gym in Woking for 10 AM. They were very much my formative years in learning about organisation and commitment, but I was having fun doing so many sports. I was having so much fun, even today I feel a bit missing, not doing at least another sport alongside cycling. In my mind I’m much more than ‘just a cyclist’ I think my physiology also agrees with me on this, I see myself as far more of an all-round athlete.
Amongst Gymnastics, Swimming and Cycling. I’ve also competed in Rugby for Chobham Rugby Club for 9 years: Football for 2 years; Triathlon; Athletics, Hockey, and Rowing whilst at school. I loved and still love all these sports. I miss that part of my life where I can just do them all, all the time. Despite all this, people are shocked when I say I’ve done all these other sports and to the level that I’ve done them, it shocks me that they’re shocked. It’s not my place to wonder what they thought I did before cycling but it is intriguing.
In each of the sports I competed in, I had a dream, the same dream I do for cycling. When that dream fizzled out because I grew to know I wasn’t good enough, the fun also faded away. At this point I jumped on the next bandwagon, and the final one I’ve jumped on was nearly 10 years ago, I’ll leave you to guess… but the answer is fairly obvious. 10 years of cycling makes it the second longest time period I’ve competed in a sport, and I’m still enjoying it and believe I’ll enjoy it for as long as I’m fit.
All this sport helped me with being able to compete and perform in cycling when I first started racing in Belgium during the 2016 season. We would drive out on Saturday morning and race on Saturday afternoon around 2 PM. Then a hostel would be booked to sleep Saturday to Sunday. After breakfast we would travel and race on Sunday afternoon and then back to England that same evening to then commence school on Monday morning at 8 AM. We did this way of things for 4 years from 2016-2019 and I got some epic performances despite those extra miles before the race. I am so glad to be returning to this race-weekend methodology in 2022 and I’m excited as it’s the closest I’ve returned to my roots in a very long time. Let’s get it. Big love to Mum and Dad to still be standing by me some 20 years later x.
I will update my progress throughout the year, as well as other stories and opinions inside and outside the cycling world. Please do check out my pieces on The British Continental where I’ve been writing about various experiences in 2022. Please also follow my Instagram for even more detailed coverage of this upcoming 2022 year.
