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Phil Reynolds: Sailor turned Cyclist

Story posted December 13, by Chris Parsons

The 2009 National Youth Laser standard sailor, Phil Reynolds, has turned from competing in the sea to the land in order to achieve his dream of becoming a Gold medal winning Olympic cyclist. The 19 year-old from Cornwall has given-up sailing in pursuit of becoming an elite track cyclist.

But why would a 19 year-old Olympic bound sailor turn his back on the sport he has participated in at such a high level? The answer is simple - his real passion is cycling. The student currently at Portsmouth University, is at present cycling for Fareham Wheelers Cycle Club but believes this is just the beginning as he tries to find his way to the top.

“At the moment I am focussed on improving myself with the resources I have" he explained. "It’s hard at 19 to get into a new sport at a high level. Gaining contacts and the trust of others such as coaches and sponsors, as well as significant results takes time but I think I have the determination and personality to achieve my goals.”

Sailing was one of the main reasons why Reynolds was able to get into cycling as he explains. “When I was sailing, the council gave me grant in Cornwall and I bought a bike with it. I rode for around a year and a half, training five days a week, between 10 and 15 hours. Then I got a carbon racing bike worth a lot of money on a sponsorship deal with Specialized through sailing and this is when I started riding with the Fareham Wheelers.”

Reynolds believes that cycling came as a blessing in disguise when his sailing results did not reach his high standards. “I was unhappy and people were noticing. I was still performing against Olympic athletes in training but just couldn’t match them in race situations. There was a lot of pressure financially and I always thought I needed to do better. I set hard goals, training up to 50 hours a week, on top of university."

“I took some time out and got some good results in cycling and fell in love with that. When I then went back into sailing a couple of months later, I had an awful Junior World Championships where I struggled. It is the hardest decision in my life so far.”

Reynolds is focused on becoming a track sprinter, because of his body type. He has already gained his 3rd category licence despite being involved in the sport for less than a year. “I started racing at the local track and quickly got my 3rd category license. It was a steep learning curve but after winning two races in a row end of season, I got my 3rd category licence which means I can race with the big guns.”

With the future looking bright, Reynolds has clear goals he wants to achieve and he sees no reason why he can’t achieve them. The only thing holding him back is sponsorship. "I have friends who work for cycling companies who have talked about it if I can get some national results. I am hoping to sign for a local Cannondale team in January which would mean sponsorship of a bike for a year and training” Reynolds goes on to add.

Reynolds has high hopes and is in a hurry to make his mark in the sport. “I would like to be in one of the British cycling development squads within the next year and really start getting that knowledge from coaches that I currently lack.” With the potential and passion that Reynolds is showing, there is no reason why he can’t win that allusive gold medal he dreams of.