Episode #2

Hi all, a week has gone by since episode 1 and thanks for your kind messages. While many of you are probably longing for warmer temperatures and riding in shorts, I'm spending quite some hours on the bike in Namibia. Yes, in shorts 😉. I'm posting most of my rides on STRAVA, by the way. Check out my profile if you would like see my activities and kudo's and comments are most welcome!

Last week I told you all about how cycling helped me to swift my focus from the frustrations. I had to the opportunities that may lie ahead and it did for some time, but I experienced some bad luck. Crashes and the lack of proper material made me stop cycling and it pushed me back in time again.
Until the day came in 2008 when I received a residence permit. This allowed me to get an education, a job and it gave me perspective again. And you can already guess, this also renewed my interest in cycling. I started as fanatically as before and pretty soon my talent for cycling was noticed by the Marco Polo Cycling Team. This was a team for riders from non-traditional cycling countries and a dream came true for me of course, but unfortunately I didn't manage to achieve the connection with the real top.
Until Gudo Kramer, the team manager, asked me if I had ever thought about the Paralympic circuit, since my right leg is underdeveloped due to poor treatment of a broken ankle during my childhood. I had never given it much thought myself, as I had been cycling with the pros for years. After thinking about it for a while, I made an appointment with the national coach of the Dutch Paralympic team and was eventually assigned to the so-called C5 category. The category for people with minimal limitations.

During the World Cup races for Paralympians, it soon became clear to me that I had underestimated the level. In races with the professionals I could keep up relatively well, but this did not mean that the Paralympic races were a breeze. I really had to do my best to finish in front! I decided to quit my job and focus completely on the Olympic dream. Rio 2016! I was fully focused on the Olympics and because I had been granted a Dutch residence permit, I was allowed to compete for team NL, provided I qualified during the qualification races... And there it almost went wrong. In the last race I felt super and I was heading for the win, which would mean that I would qualify for the Olympics. And then I crashed in the last two kilometers before the finish. Dream gone?

But this time luck came my way; I received a wildcard to compete in the games after all! And what games they were! After a crazy race, I crossed the finish line first, amidst the cheers of the spectators. Yes, unbelievable. I had experienced so much before and also during that race: crashing, returning, winning! Then they played the Dutch national anthem and I was enormously proud of myself, from useless to the Paralympic Games, representing the Netherlands. I said, "Wow! Especially that I was still allowed to come out for NL without a passport. That was special.

Greetings from Namibia and look out for Episode #3

Daniel

Photo credits: Mathilde Dusol

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