Manny Robertson

Manny Robertson is a member of Woolwich CC, Team GB, a British National Champion and a former World Record Holder - here’s his story so far.

On September 15th 2018 when a British Cycling coach told me I had been picked for the GB Cycling team programme, it felt a long way from the first days with Woolwich Cycling Club as a scraggy kid in baggy shorts and long hair, holding onto the wheel in front like my life depended on it - which it probably did!

Now that I’m part of the GB Para Cycling team, my goal is to go to the Paralympics. My GB coaches have always told me they are training for Paris but with the year’s delay, you never know (obviously then my goal is gold, naturally!).

Over the past few years I have raced in five National Championships and won seven National jerseys in Woolwich CC colours. I also won a Class One international in Italy, in 2018, in Woolwich kit. It is a real pleasure to continue my journey while staying a Woolwich CC member

The best part of coming back from major races is going straight to see Terry Blake to report back and talk him through the whole experience.

One of my favourite wins is the 3K individual pursuit national record last year. That is the target race for the Games and I could show that I was the best in the country at it in my category. Another great win for me was winning Gold in the Team Sprint with Jodie Cundy MBE and Jon Allen Butterworth MBE in an international in Jan last year.  My first time ever on the track was with Woolwich CC. I owe so much to the time Terry Blake spent with me at Lee Valley Velodrome and his encouragement. In 2018, I was very down after a hand injury and lacking confidence and it was Terry who got me back on track! Literal

Now I am part of the GB Team I understand just how very hard they all work and the enormity of the support team behind the riders. They are a great team.

If I make it to the Paralympics it will be make it all worthwhile to come back and tell Terry all about it.

This year has been slow with no races since January. Social distancing on a track or road race is a bit tricky -two metre distancing only works if you are the one winning. But that race in January was the track World Championships and the most important race of my life so far. I knocked eight seconds off my 3km Individual Pursuit time from 2019, in a time that would have medalled in the Rio Paralympics, but this time put me sixth. There are always the ups and the downs. I also lost my Flying 200 World Record which I had won the year before. A good incentive, though, to get me to the next Track World Champs.

The road World Champs weren’t the best for me either last year, after I had crashed a couple of months before and spent four weeks in rehab. I was surprised that I managed to get selected for the team for the Worlds at all.

How I now view racing and training has changed from an ambition I had, into a job title - and the only way you get to the next step is by winning medals. I always try to stay calm when racing and think about the opportunity instead of the threat of not doing well. I have many more successes to come I hope, but to be asked to talk here about achievements so far is very motivating!

Palmares