It's mid-day and the relentless heat of the sun is beating
down on the pavement of South Bay Road.
Black flies as thick as dark rain clouds fill the air.
On the road, a solitary cyclist traverses the steep and
unforgiving hills, beads of sweat glistening on his face.
But, the intense workout is worth it to Jeff Dickson because
he's on a mission to conquer the competitive world of cycling.
An athlete with the Canadian Disabled Alpine Ski Team since
1992, Dickson, 41, has earned numerous top finishes at national
and international events.
In 1985, Dickson was involved in a terrifying motorcycle
accident. It left him with a paralyzed left arm and his left
foot was amputated.
This past season, Dickson had qualified to compete at
Torino, Italy in the 2006 Paralympics, but after major knee
surgery in the summer of 2005, he wasn't 100 percent ready to
take on the world's largest sporting stage.
Dickson didn't properly rehabilitate his knee and was forced out of action during the season.
Part of exercise he needed to get back on the snowy hills he
loved so much was riding a bike.
Day after day flew by as Dickson worked out his muscular
legs on a bicycle. He grew a deep fascination with cycling as a
competitive sport and wondered if he could challenge the best
riders on the planet.
Dickson soon entered a major race in Montreal (after the
insistence of the Canadian Disabled Cycling Team coach, who saw
him doing fitness training in Calgary one day), which got his
competitive juices boiling. He went on to finish fourth overall
in the road race, sixth overall in the time trial and twelfth
in the criterium.
"Two weeks before the races in Montreal, I bought a bike
from Pinnacle Sports and did quite well," said the former
skier. "The races were the biggest event outside of the summer
Paralympics and there were hundreds of cyclists. I just wanted
to see where I would fit in. At the very least I was able to
find out what it will take to be competitive. I didn't win, but
I didn't lose either. It was all about gaining experience and
seeing who is the best. I have a lot of work ahead of me."
Dickson has been training at the Sudbury Cycling Club (SCC),
gaining knowledge from the head coach, Battista Muredda.
"Jeff's determination stands out," said Muredda. "It's
something else. He's riding with one hand and one leg and he's
riding strong. It's amazing. We had a race in Val Caron and it
was a tough long race. Jeff got lapped by some of the
able-bodied riders and we asked him if he wanted to stop
because the race was over, but he said no. He wanted to finish
the race and he did. I couldn't stop him. He kept
going...that's determination."
Cycling gives Dickson another goal for him to tackle.
"Having a disability, I am fortunate enough to be able to
ride a bike," said Dickson. "It gives me another sport to focus
on. After the race in Montreal, I feel I can get to the highest
level in cycling. My background in skiing helps a lot because I
have strong legs, now I just have to work on my cardio. I
haven't officially retired from skiing."
Dickson is bent on making the Canadian disabled cycling
team, and his first big step towards the goal will come at the
end of June when he competes in the Canadian championships in
Quebec City.
"I want to make the Canadian team and compete at the world championships," said Dickson.
"I can't put too much pressure on myself. If it takes a
whole year to make the team, I will accept it. My ultimate goal
is to make the team for the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing,
China."
SCC is there to help Dickson realize his dreams, especially
since he has improved by leaps and bounds over the last few
weeks.
"He's riding with one hand...braking and changing gears with one hand," said Muredda. "It's very tough what he's doing. He has improved his riding skills considerably, learning how to corner better. I will develop a plan for him. He's a bit of a different rider, but a really good one."
