Well I was on one big racing high after competing at my first cyclo cross world cup and have been trying to find a spare moment to write about my brief little cyclo cross adventure in Belgium, but bigger issues, personal and family life have taken priority right now....it has been far more important for me to stop and smell the roses before I get caught up and carried away with all the mountain biking and racing adventures that are already in store for me in 2010.
I have had a string of bad news lately, but it can only get better, and to tell you the truth when you think you have problems then there is always someone else out there with bigger issues.
When I represented Australia at the World Championships I met a young, up and coming junior ountain bike racer who had been diagnosed with cancer. I didn't know who he was at first because all the Australian juniors were always smiling and giving training their best shot, no one stood out as suffering anymore than the others. When I realised who Brendan was I was inspired by his dedication to mountain bike racing and his smile that remained the right way up the whole time, although in alot of pain.
Mountain bike racing is a hard sport physically and can be quite dangerous. Brendan refused to give up his place on the Australian National Team, although he would be needing every ounce of energy he had inside him for a life saving operation not long after the Mountain Bike World Championships. While we mountain bikers nursed injuries and complained of sore legs post race, Brendan was preparing himself for another battle, one that would require even more strength and determination than any mountain bike race could offer.
Sometimes I think it's all too easy to forget what sport and the Olympics should be based on, and who we consider role models in this day and age. Sport brings people together and that was what the first Modern Olympics was supposed to be be all about. With the amount of commercialisation that surrounds professional sport and the Olympics, it can be easy to forget for example why we actually started riding a bike in the first place....sport at any level can produce gold medal winning performances from a sporting community, especially when LIFE is concerned.
Australian mountain bikers have joined forces to help Brendan Johnston.....
The shirt is a brand new medium sized Santini jersey with MTBA logo as worn by our national team. Most of the team has signed the jersey including Beijing Olympian Dan McConnell, national champions Rowena Fry and Lachlan Norris and many more including Katherine O’Shea and Paul Van Der Ploeg.
All proceeds from this auction will go to assist Brendan “Trekky” Johnston in his fight against cancer. Brendan was diagnosed with cancer just before the World Championships this year; he had urgent surgery to remove the cancer and amazingly was able to get back on the bike to race the championships and finish 50th. He is now at the start of a long road of chemotherapy. You can read more on Trekky’s website at http://www.keepingtrekkyontrack.com/.
So help us help Trekky, and score yourself some unique Aussie sporting memorabilia. Bid now at http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150397647262.
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