One of my main sporting goals has always been to get to the Olympics. It is exciting to wake up every morning and strive to get that one step closer to achieving it. Currently we are nearing the end of the qualification period to qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games. I was told the other day that we only have five major competitions till we race (potentially) in Rio. Five! Nothing is set in stone however. We (the Women’s Team Sprint) are on track (no pun intended!) to qualifying a spot BUT we have lots to work on to get there.

Recently I competed in Invercargill, NZ, for the 2016 Oceania Track Cycling Championships. The NZ team did brilliantly, against the mighty fast Australians, medalling in every event. My performance over the week was promising in some areas, and a little disappointing in others. However, I felt I was in a much better state physically and mentally than previous years.

As I write, I leave this week to Cali, Colombia, for the first (of three) World Cup series for this season. I am competing in the Team Sprint, as the starter, and will look to improve on my performance from Oceania’s. It will also be a good chance for us to see where our performance sits amongst the other countries.

It is a busy schedule from here on in; I hope to be selected to compete in the secondWorld Cup in December, held in Cambridge (NZ). It is the first time NZ has held a World Cup! If you can grab a hold of tickets then I fully recommend you get along to cheer the kiwis on, and to see some spectacular international racing.  The third and final World Cup in January, held in Hong Kong, China, I will aim for selection before our National Championships in February, back in Cambridge. All going well, I am aiming to compete in the World Championships in March, held in London, UK.

And from there, our performances will be assessed with the Olympic team being named in July, 2016. So it is a busy season ahead! We have done a lot of work over the NZ winter to allow us to be in the best state during this busy time. And what do we do between travel and racing? This is the time to work on specific areas that may be lacking when we race; technical, tactical, or physical. For me it is about keeping healthy, injury free, and perfecting my craft.

A big shout out to Torpedo7 for their support during these busy times!

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