Ross Wilson (cyclist)

Ross Wilson (born December 10, 1981) is a Canadian para-cyclist.

Ross Wilson
Personal information
Born (1981-12-10) December 10, 1981
Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
Medal record
Men's Para-cycling
Representing  Canada
2016 Summer Paralympics
Silver medal – second place2016 Rio de Janeiro Individual Pursuit C1
Silver medal – second place2016 Rio de Janeiro Road time trial C1

Early life

Wilson was born on December 10, 1981 in Sherwood Park, Alberta.[1]

Career

In his 20s, Wilson began noticing his gait changing and he would constantly be rolling his ankles.[2] He was eventually diagnosed with Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease, a neurological condition that affected his nerves and muscles. After losing over 100 pounds, he bought himself a bike to stay active and continue to lose weight.[3] He subsequently joined the Juventus Cycling Club in 2012 where he met coach Cam Jennings.[4] By 2014, he joined the Argyll Velodrome Association and raced in the 2014 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.[5]

While training for the 2015 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Wilson was struck by a car backing out of a parking spot. As his body flew through the back window, he broke his clavicle, some ribs, and vertebrae.[6] However, he recovered by 2016 and was named to Team Canada's roster for the 2016 Summer Paralympics.[7] To qualify for the Paralympics, Wilson set a new world and Paralympic record at 3:53.66, which was beaten five minutes later by Zhangyu at 3:50.373.[8] Wilson ended his first Paralympic Games with two silver medals; one in men’s c1 individual pursuit and another in the men’s c1 road time trial.[9]

In 2017, Wilson earned a gold medal at the 2017 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in the C1 men's 3,000 metre individual pursuit.[10] He would later take home a silver medal at the 2017 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, losing to Germany’s Michael Teuber.[11]

The following year, Wilson earned a silver medal after finishing 2.362 seconds behind Ricardo Argiles at the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[12] He also earned a bronze medal at the 2019 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.[13] At the 2018–19 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Wilson set a new world record for the C1 Men’s Individual Pursuit with a time of 3:49.450.[14]

References
  1. "Ross Wilson". paralympic.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  2. Alary, Bryan (May 29, 2018). "How cyclist Ross Wilson defies disease that could rob him of mobility". techlifetoday.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  3. Todd, Zoe (September 11, 2016). "Alberta man snags Canada's first 2016 Paralympics medal". cbc.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  4. Kristina Rutherford (August 7, 2015). "Canada at the Parapan Ams: Wilson a top medal threat". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  5. "AVRA Alumni". argyllvelodrome.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  6. Cummings, Jeff (October 3, 2016). "Ross Wilson's harrowing (but rewarding) journey to the 2016 Summer Paralympics". techlifetoday.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  7. "CYCLING CANADA NOMINATES 12 ATHLETES FOR SELECTION TO TEAM CANADA FOR RIO 2016 PARALYMPIC GAMES". cyclingcanada.ca. June 29, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  8. Barnes, Dan (September 9, 2016). "Canada's first two 2016 Paralympic medals come from cycling track". National Post. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  9. "Rio Silver medalist Ross Wilson reflects on 2016 -". juventus.ab.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  10. "Chernoce, Wilson win gold in Para-cycling". northbaynipissing.com. March 4, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  11. "Canada conquer at para-cycling world championships". sascoc.co.za. September 2, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  12. Aalgaard, Todd (March 23, 2018). "Canadian riders take gold, silver on the first day of the UCI paracycling track world championships". cyclingmagazine.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  13. "CANADA WINS BRONZE OVEN MEDALS ON OPENING DAYS OF PARA ROAD WORLDS". albertabicycle.ab.ca. September 16, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  14. "ROSS WILSON SETS A NEW WORLD RECORD IN C1 INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT". cyclingcanada.ca. November 8, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
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