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WADE'S JOURNAL
May 21st Today is the official starting date of my new Job as National High Performance Scholarship coach. My roles will be very similar as before working with the Junior Development program and also taking on a study course and being mentored to become a qualified High Performance Coach. This does mean I have with drawn from the BMX High Performance program as an athlete and will no longer be allowed to compete for the Olympics for Australia. I will continue to race a very limited race schedule to have some fun on the side. It was a hard choice to make but I feel that I have chosen the right choice at this point of time in my career, as I have to look further ahead than 1 year from now. I have a lot of personal goals that I would like to accomplish outside of my racing career and I feel this is the time to take up the opportunity and focus towards the other goals in my life which are outside of racing and coaching. This will give me a chance to help with my own personal development and give me a new challenge in life. I have had a very successful long career in racing as a professional cyclist and I would like to thank all of you that have been a part of my life that has made it such a success. I am looking forward to my new challenge and career where I am aiming to be just as successful or even more than my racing career. To be an athlete these days it does take a lot of support especially when you have your own family to take care of, from Sponsors, family, friends and the coaching program in Australia. Currently I do not have the support that I need to perform to my best to continue the journey the way I would like to see it happen and for me to be happy with the results. I set very high standard for my self and I need to be a consistence top 3 finisher and a place holder internationally for me to be happy. I did not just want to be an Olympian, I would rather be the Olympic Champion, and this is the main reason for the withdrawing from the High Performance team as I know how much time, effort and sacrifice has to go into it before getting those kind of results. I am just not in a position to be able to do the things required at this stage in my life, even though I know I most probably could if I had the chance. I am humble with my decision and grateful in what I have achieved and accomplished in life so far. I am just starting a new chapter in my life.
May 7th The Last Stand?
Finally I have found some time to get back on the website to give you guys an up date on what has been going on the last 6 months. I have been very busy with my part time job as National Talent ID coach, training, being a Dad, and most of my time now goes towards other people and less time is spent to do the things that I had plenty of time to do before as a Professional athlete. May 6th will be a day that I remember for a long time, placing 2nd in the Nationals at 33 years of age against some of the fastest BMX riders in the world. I am proud to be able to hold my head up high and be grateful on the outcome from all the way from lane 8. This year I finished 2nd in the Hogs breath Cafe' National Series behind Luke Madill and was the 6th Australian in UCI World Ranking points after the National Championship. A very good result due to the circumstances I have been through this year. I was also a member of the Queensland State Elite team during the weekend, were we also won the team Trophy and crowned National Champions. During the opening ceremony I was also awarded "Male Coach of the year". I have also been a person that loves a challenge and lives by a saying ,“ The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. ” Last weekend triumph was surely glorious by coming out as close to a winner can be with in racing and holding a coaching position. I was told I could never race BMX and Mountain bikes at the same time and as well as race and coach at the same time. I took on both challenges and have proven that the impossible is still possible and have inspired others to follow suit. Going into the race last weekend was very important in many ways as I was fighting for a spot to represent Australia in the Worlds team at Canada late July. Due to my bad performances during the UCI event this year, I knew I could not depend on those results to grab a spot on the team. The only way I could guarantee a spot was to win the National Championships which was an automatic selection to the team. Making the worlds team would be a big factor to my future. Late November 2006 I was awarded a National Coaching Scholarship from the Australia Sports Commission, meaning I would be studying an Applied Science Degree and be developed to be a potential High Performance Coach within sport in Australia. In 1993 I was also enrolled to become a Physical education teacher before I moved to America. Back then I deferred the enrollment as I did with this scholarship. I wanted one last shot to see if I could potentially be a member of the Australian Olympic team come 2008. Life is all about opportunities and I have always liked to have more than 1 option. The opportunities don't just come to you, you have to make them. Nearly 14 year ago I had the opportunity to go race overseas and hopefully pursue a career racing bikes. I ended up sacrificing an education to follow a dream to compete against the best in the World. The gamble paid off big time, leaving Australia with $2000 and a bike, and that has made me who I am today. 14 year's later I am at the same fork in the road with a much bigger decision to make. Continue on competing to hopefully become a Gold medallist and one of the first BMX riders to become an Olympian, or take up the offer of a National Coaching Scholarship that could potentially be my next 14 year career? I have been thinking about this for the past 6 months and it is time to make a big sacrifice either way. In the next week or so I will make up my mind in what direction I will take in whether to continue racing or pursue a new venture outside of racing. It is just ashame I am not allowed to do both. This could be my Last Stand on the Podium. See you soon, PAST JOURNAL ENTRIES
Dec 2006 Aug 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 Mar 2006 Feb 2006 Oct 2005 Sept
2005 Aug
2005 July
2005 June
2005 May
2005 April 2005 Mar
2005 Feb 2005 Jan
2005 Nov 2004 Oct
2004 Sept 2004 Aug
2004 July 2004 June
2004 May 2004 Apr
2004 Mar 2004 Feb
2004 Jan 2004 Dec
2003 Nov 2003 Oct
2003 Sept 2003 Aug
2003 July 2003 June
2003 May 2003 April
2003 Mar 2003 Feb
2003 Jan 2003 DEC
2002 Nov 2002 Oct
2002 Aug/Sept 2002 July
2002 June 2002 May
2002 Mar/April 2002 February
2002 December
2001 November
2001 October 2001 September
2001 August 1 & 15, 2001 July
1 & 15, 2001 June 1, 2001 May
1, 2001 April 1, 2001 March
1, 2001 February 1, 2001 January
1, 2001 December 1, 2000 DOWN UNDER TOUR 2001-02
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