Fresh from a solid debut at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Belgium with the Great Britain Cycling Team, Scottish rider Finlay (Fin) Graham praised the power of the pedals as he paid a visit to his former school on earlier this week.
The 19-year-old cyclist from Strathpeffer left Dingwall Academy in February 2017 to move to British Cycling’s Manchester headquarters after spending time with Scottish Cycling at the Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow. He is now part of the Great Britain Cycling Team Para-cycling Foundation Programme, ‘Track2Tokyo’.
Now in just over two years on the programme, Fin has competed against some of the world’s best cyclists on the track and road in world championships and world cups as a C3 para-cyclist – a para-cycling classification for people with moderate upper body or lower limb dysfunctions – including at the record-breaking campaign by the Great Britain Cycling Team, whose 20 medals, including 10 gold, at the 2019 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in the Netherlands saw the squad record its on the track or road.
Graham, who was born with bilateral club feet and no calf muscle, said: “I know that I’m not long out of school, but it’s been amazing to come back home to talk about what I’ve been up to on my bike and to see some familiar faces – including my Dad who’s on the teaching staff!
“Cycling has been my passion for as long as I can remember, so when the opportunity came about to turn it into my career, I took it with both hands and have kept going. That is something I believe is really important – having the opportunity to ride a bike.”
And, less than four months from the UK’s biggest sporting event of the year in the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire (21 – 29 September) – the first road world championships on British soil since 1982 – Fin is hoping to write his name in the history books at the first para-cycling race in the event’s history.
He continued: “The Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International is in my crosshairs as one to race, definitely. The road worlds itself is a once in a generation event and I hope by me being on the start line I inspire someone to try cycling and see for themselves why I – and millions more people the world over – love it.”
British Cycling Chief Executive, Julie Harrington, said: ““In a year where Yorkshire is set to host one of the UK’s biggest sporting events, we want to ensure that every child in Britain, regardless of their background, is given the opportunity to ride a bike.
“With athletes like Finlay visiting their old schools, we hope that children will be inspired to take advantage of all the opportunities in their local area, from Go-Ride clubs to traffic-free facilities and plenty more besides.”
Scottish Cycling Sprint and Para-Cycling Coach Dave Daniel worked with Fin at the begining of his cycling journey and has loved seeing him progress to the Great Britain Cycling Team Para-cycling Foundation Programme. Daniels said: "It's been a pleasure to watch Fin develop through the system and achieve on the world stage, he is a true inspiration to budding young riders."
More information on the Yorkshire 2019 World Championships will be released soon. Stay tuned!
