Local teenager enjoys the ride towards cyclist ambitions
A teenager from Middelburg who started cycling less than a year ago – initially to shrug off an injury sustained during a soccer match – is determined to enter as many competitive races as possible this year as he considers the reality of taking up the sport on a more professional level.
Mohammed Uzair Bhamjee has been riding about half the time on a mountain bike – and half on a road bike. He has now developed a genuine interest in cycling that he says is ‘impossible to ignore’.
At first I found an old Mountain Bike that was stored away at home. It was really heavy, but it was a perfect start-up. I started to cycle recreationally and on weekends mostly, covering no more than 10km at the most, said Uzair.
A few weeks later his Uncle, Abdul Hamid Chavoos, borrowed him a mountain bike. It was much lighter and faster. The interest in cycling grows with the intensity of the sport, he says.
The entire riding experience changes completely. It becomes a desire to stay healthy and be naturally competitive. I was immediately hooked to the sport.
In 2014 Uzair entered as many races as he could, including the Alzu Tour de Farm and the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge.
Crossing the finish line at the 94.7 Challenge in a time of 04:20:52 was also a personal victory that further motivates Uzair to take up the sport seriously.
“I’ve since tried to allocate as much time as possible towards a daily training schedule,” he said.
“It basically consists of an hour ride during the early morning and covers about 30km’s”.
Earlier this year Uzair participated at the Dischem Ride for Sight in Boksburg and he successfully completed 116km in a time of 04:05:53.
“It was a great race. I was involved in a crash with dozens of other cyclists and lost about 20 minutes. Fortunately no one was seriously injured but it’s part of the experience. I was glad I was still in the race and was able to continue, and eventually cross the finish line.”
Plans for the future ?
Uzair is in Grade 12 and says that he’s grades in school is his first priority as he intends to pursue studies in B.Com Accounting.
As long as I have that passion for cycling I’ll continue training as much as possible and enter as many races I can. For now it’s something that helps keep me fit and is something I really enjoy.
- Uzair’s next race will be the Emperor’s Classic on 12 April.