Message #3343

[giantcfr1]

Ferret - i think the light was always in me - planted long ago by the aforementioned deities in the HD club.

In 1995 the NSWIS in conjunction with NSWCF (the NSWIS coaches were basically the NSWCF commitee members) developed 3 'satellite squads' across the state based on three geographical areas. Each squad had 5 riders selected from the regions involved. The squad appointed to Mick Chapman consisted of 3 HD riders, myself and another rider from Tamworth (Thor was one of the HD riders). Our key long term focus was to train riders capable of competing at the 2000 Olympics. 18 months later due to funding issues the squads were disbanded and we were told to go back to our local academies (for me it was Northern Inland Academy of sport). I didn't want to train under the coaches for NIAS as i knew them and weren't too impressed with their coaching methods. Under Mick i was training up to 700km a week as a 15 year old and the results were showing. The first training program i received from NIAS was simply 30 km a day at recovery heart rate. We rang Mick and he generously offered to keep training me in secret. Eventually the coach of NIAS found out and we were reported to NSWCF/NSWIS. Mick stepped in and had a word with some high ranking members of the NSWCF and the result was that NIAS would still give me the funding and administration support, but Mick would send me programs and work with my father to help train me from a distance. He continued to support my family and i for years to come.

Mick was usually at odds with the NSWCF as he had a very strong commitment to country cyclists and a passion particulalry for juniors. The NSWCF were training a group of city cyclists and did not really appreciate having the country cyclists come up and beat the riders they had invested so much into. In 1996 i won the NSW junior road championships and my parents were told immediately after the race ' don't think this gets him in the state team, we see what happens in the race'. Problem is that my dad was driving the lead car and saw me always at the front taking fair turns with a small group of people while others chose to sit on and wheelsuck. I remember Mick walking over to dad and saying "put your hands in your pockets and walk away". Then he went over and chatted to a couple of the selectors and one came over and told dad not to worry that i would be in the team. This is just a sampling of the politics we went through in the old cycling days and Mick helped us through it every time.

and that is my own real life soapie drama.