The velodrome hums with energy as the team preparing for the World Masters in Roubaix, France gathers for another training session.
Riding high – back row, from left, Manager Mel Allington, Monique Brake, Leigh Mikkelsen, Penny Pawson, Tim Pawson, Tony Wilkinson, Gary Mikkelsen and coach Hamish Ferguson. Front, Chris Allington, Wayne Mason, Dean Litolff and Colin Claxton.
The sound of wheels on tape, click, click, mixes with the low rush of air. Beneath it all is the determination of riders who refuse to let age define them.
Conventional wisdom says sport gets harder as you get older. But for this group, the opposite is proving true. “We’re all getting older, but year by year we are getting faster,” says Leigh Mikkelsen. Teammate Tim Pawson nods: “We’re supposed to be going slower, but instead we’re getting faster.”
That doesn’t mean it’s easy. The riders speak candidly about the physical changes that come with age and the stereotypes that come with them. “All the menopausal talk, ‘isn’t it about time you slowed down?’ I’m like, what? No. It does get harder though. But it doesn’t mean you fight any less,” says Mikkelsen.
Instead of easing off, they all talk about how important it is to double down on recovery, sleep and smarter training.
If performance is one motivator, community is the other heartbeat of the team. “Community is a big one for me, it’s everything,” one rider says. Another adds, “We’re not just riding, we’re part of something bigger.” For Tim Pawson, that sense of togetherness extends off the track too: “It’s super motivating to do this in a team [with wife Penny] and as a family that loves riding.”
Family and legacy surface again and again in the conversation. “I’ve got three girls, and for me it’s about setting a good example, for them, and for women in sport,” says Monique Brake.
Tony Wilkinson shares a similar drive: “I’ve got three young boys who are 13, 11 and 9. I’ve always been keen to lead from the front and motivate them.”
Respect, they all agree, is the true equalizer. “It doesn’t matter what level any of us are at, the mutual respect comes from knowing how hard everyone has worked to get where they are,” says Brake. “Just because someone is faster doesn’t make them a better human being. If you get to the start line of any race, everyone knows how hard it was just to get there.”
The drive for challenge is another common thread. “I’ve always loved pushing myself, something new, something different. If there’s no challenge to overcome, there’s no satisfaction in achieving it,” says Chris Allington. He sums up his approach in two words: “Community and challenge.” Gary Mikkelsen shares his motivation: “I think mine is, it’s been a dream, but it’s also a massive personal overcoming of challenges.”
And then there’s the simple joy of riding. “Work can be stressful and I come here and the sound of the wheels over the tape – click, click – and the smell, and the wind rushes in my ears. It’s my happy place,” says Penny Pawson.
Together, these athletes are proving that the story of aging in sport doesn’t have to be one of decline. It was a privilege to sit among their chats about aging well and staying motivated, and to witness the way they share their experiences with one another and the wider cycling community.
The team will be lining up at the World Championships in Roubaix, France from Saturday until October 11 – we’ll all be cheering them on.
- • Lizzy Crouch is the Marketing and Events Manager at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome.
