Support recipient Szymon Wroblewski
Szymon refers to himself as the Polish vegan. He started cycling, “properly” in his words, before the first lockdown in 2019. He would go out a few times during the week and cycle in Culloden woods near his home, increasing the kilometres and extending the area once in a while. He would cycle 5kms daily, which he eventually increased to 20 to 40, with his longest distance being 50km during the Covid-19 upheaval in 2020. The 50km was ridden on a Blue Scott USA Mountain bike around Inverness. He remembers the unreal feeling of doing this at the age of 14. That's when his interest in cycling exploded and took over.
After that Szymon decided to take it to another level and got his first road bike. It was a Yellow black Carrera. At the same time, he joined Inverness Cycle Club along with his mate Tyler Clare. With the Carrera he did many rides with the club and also on his own. Initially he regarded these rides to Foyers, Canich, around the Black Isle, the Meig dam, Forres, Nairn, Fort Augustus, Grantown on Spey as quite extraordinary. After getting used to the distance and company of the club members he decided to try his first solo long distance ride. It was 120km around Lochness on quiet roads during lockdown.
He became a regular on the Monday development rides, the Thursday chain gang and Saturday cafe rides, usually around 100km. Just before the first etape in August 2021 he cycled 200km a substantial ride for a 16 year old, during which he crashed. The Carrera was badly damaged. His second road bike, a Genesis, was nothing too fancy, but allowed him to continue riding with the club and he would average around 200-250km a week both on his own and with the club.
This year he entered events run under the auspices of Scottish/ British Cycling, mainly time trials but he also had his first experience of a Road Race, the Duffus Men's 55 mile event incorporating the North Road Race Championship. It was open to all categories. He rode very well, coming in second junior. This was Szymon’s first experience of the technical skills and the strategies required for this discipline. Certainly, this race performance was up there with his epic 260km ”leisure” ride.
Looking to the future, Szymon’s plan for cycling is to work hard at his training, so that he can continually improve. He is not one to make excuses and he will be open to the future challenges as they present themselves.
All being well, Szymon aspires academically to a university placement, possibly at St Andrews, to study archaeology. At the moment however, he is in his final year at secondary school, where he is deputy head boy with the associated responsibilities. Alongside that, he is studying for exams and has a part time job, all of which he manages to successfully juggle alongside his training out on the road and in the gym.
HiVelo wishes this modest young man well and we hope that our contribution towards a new turbo trainer brings it within his grasp.
