Talking to Paralympian Jody Cundy
Story posted September 2, 2008
By Larry Hickmott
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In Beijing for Great Britain is a Paralympian cyclist, Jody Cundy who one coach said to me that in all probability, if he wasn’t a disabled athlete, he may well have had the talent to be an able bodied one on the GB Cycling team. Jody Cundy is that good!
The cyclist from Swansea is a superb sprinter and his time for the kilometre, a World record for his category, is one that many able bodied sprinters would love to achieve. Beijing will be his fourth Paralympic Games after doing three as a swimmer and he is one of two former swimmers in the team with Sarah Storey being the other.
Their roads to the cycling discipline though were very different as Jody explained. “I used to swim a lot with Sarah, and because we were in the top disability categories, we used to train in the same lanes when we were away at disability camps. I have known her for years and the switch to cycling was not something we planned to do. It just happened without either of us planning or talking to each other about it.”
In Beijing, whilst Sarah will be aiming for the Gold in mainly endurance events, Jody has two sprint events, the Kilometre and Team Sprint. Asked which event is his favourite, he says “the kilo is top of the list -- me against the clock. The Team Sprint involves two other riders and other teams on the track so there are lots of other elements which are out of my control but the Kilo is one hundred per cent me. If I do well, its down to me just as if I do badly.”
Two events is not many, and we all know from the able bodied Olympics that swimmers have a load of events to choose from. Asked how his programme in cycling differs to that he had in swimming, Jody replied “my swimming programme used to be similar to be honest. I used to do the 100 fly which was my main event and a backup event of the 100 backstroke and perhaps a few relays that I may or may not qualify for. I would probably have a programme of three or four races.”
Jody gets treatment during training.
His record for the kilometre in cycling is an impressive 1.07.04 which is a far cry from when he joined the programme a few years ago and he thought the world record, which was a 1.10, would be really hard to beat. It wasn’t for Jody.
Even without any special equipment such as the state of the art false leg he now has,
Jody went out there at the 2006 Worlds and beat the World record and from that moment onwards, has set himself faster and faster goals.
“We looked at the able bodied Track nationals a few years ago and thought if I could break 1.10, I’d make the top 10 which would be good and I did a 1.09 (10th) and the plan was then to go faster and faster and see where it takes me.”
Although he lives in Wales, Swansea, Jody spends a lot of his time training at the National Cycling Centre at Manchester. “I spend lot of time heading up and down the motorway and coming to Manchester for three day blocks. That has proved to be beneficial and allowed me to spend time working with the coaches. Okay, it does mean a lot of travelling but we keep an eye on that so I don’t get too fatigued and I think we have a fine balance now which works well for me.”
Talking to Jody, he is not only an exceptionally talented cyclist but also a very down to earth guy, just like triple Gold medallist Chris Hoy. Training at Manchester enables Jody to watch and train on the same track as the able bodied riders and he says that is one thing he really enjoys about having come over to cycling.
“One of the things I really enjoyed about come to the cycling squad is seeing that a lot of the stuff we do you see the likes Chris, Jamie and Vicki doing. When we’re all on the track at the same time, you get to watch what they do and kind of compare what I am doing to their training and hopefully it ties in. If they are doing it that way, then its obviously the right way!”
And watching Jody train is like watching any of the sprinters train as he does his standing start efforts, sprints and motor chases. He very obviously has a great talent for the sport and that can be seen when he is unleashing his sprint efforts.
“I am fortunate to be more of a naturally talented cyclist than I ever was as a swimmer. Look at me and compare me to Michael Phelps who is six foot four with this huge arm span and I’m five foot seven, have short arms and short legs and am not really the swimming build. However, put me next to guys like Ross (Edgar) and Jason (Kenny) and I am not that dissimilar in shape and proportions so it must work out in my favour”.
One thing he is very certain of and that is he’s not going back to swimming. “This is only my third year on a bike and things are still moving on.”
Finally, when we spoke, the Games were still a few weeks away. Was he starting to get anxious and impatient to be out there and competing after so many years of hard work to get where he is now?
“Yes” was the simple answer to that one. “Something I enjoy about being part of the Paralympics is you always get to watch the Olympics before it and that is a really good motivator to get you ready for our Games. And seeing them do so well, unbelievably so, you just want to get out there.”
“Seeing that flame lit really does ignite something in you. It’s the process of four years work, an event you have to make the most of and it’s only the Paralympics that the Worlds press get to see what Paralympians can do. The press we get is miniscule compared to the other Olympics so you have to reinvent yourself every fours year and explain what you do again and again but it is getting to the point where the coverage is getting better and people are beginning to find out who the athletes are in Paralympic sport.”
One of those for certain is Jody Cundy and we wish him lots of luck in his quest to come back with two Gold medals.
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