Chasing a two-wheeled dream

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/07/2015 (3732 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Chris Prendergast is no stranger to going fast. Growing up in St. James with mom Christine, dad James, and younger sisters Beth and Mary, Chris honed his speed and racing skills as a speed skater.

He was able to take the speed-skating pretty far, competing in the Canada Games four years ago.

It was after the Canada Games that Chris made a very impactful decision.

“When I was in speed-skating, cycling was always a part of our training. I always really enjoyed it. After the Canada Games I weighed my options both in speed skating and in cycling and felt cycling gave me more opportunity. Soon after that I put all my effort into cycling.”

That effort is now paying off in spades for Chris. He’s a part of the Jet Fuel Coffee Race Team and is travelling the world living and chasing his dream.

“I have met a lot of cool people and have been to a lot of interesting places,” he says. “My ultimate goal is to get a pro contract. This is very hard to do as a Canadian, which is why I still go to school.”

Oh yeah… school.

Chris is soon to enter his third year at the University of Manitoba in this little thing called the actuary program and, while he has been committed to his racing, has been able to maintain a sparkling GPA of 4.1.

Chris attributes much of his success to his parents.

“My parents are spectacular. They have always been incredibly supportive in whatever I chose to do. They have flown as far as France to watch me race,” he says.

Another source of support Chris is very appreciative of is Kids Of Mud, which is the official youth cycling program of the Manitoba Cycling Association.

If you are 16 or younger and would like to start taking their cycling more seriously you should check out the program at www.kidsofmud.ca

Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicker Troy Westwood is co-host of The Big Show, every weekday morning from 6 to 10 a.m. on TSN 1290 radio. He writes about Winnipeg’s unsung sports heroes every other week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. If you know of an athlete whose story Troy should tell, contact him at: troy.westwood@bellmedia.ca