Tuesday, December 26, 2006

A TRIBUTE TO SCOTT PEOPLES



SCOTT DAVID PEOPLES




1986 - 2006


NEVER FORGOTTEN






2 days before Christmas i had to say goodbye to a close friend of mine. A cyclist with whom i have shared a coach and many a good day with over the 4 or so years that i have known him. He was killed, in a senseless accident, while out training on Friday December 15. He was a brilliant kid and will be sorely missed. Testament to his and his families popularity were the 300+ crowd who packed the Shepparton Football Club to pay tribute to a kid who had the world at his feet and the desire to achieve great things in a sport that he loved.

Some of them may not have ever spoken to Scott, they were there just because they understood what it meant to be a rider and the sacrifices that we make and the risks that we take everyday when we strap on our helmets. Im going to use this blog, that hopefully some people read, to encourage us all to take care when we are driving our cars and riding our bikes. Too often over the last 2 weeks, since the accident, i have seen people driving and sending text messages....... talking on there phones....... involved in serious conversations with a passenger and not watching the road.......

We all have a responsibility, everytime we get behind the wheel of a 1 ton weapon to think hard about the implications that a few seconds of distraction or not concentrating can have. It can and does cause the destruction of families, the loss of innocent and brilliant lives, the break down of communities and if you think for one second that you wont wake in a cold sweat every night for the rest of your life with that face in your mind.....you are sadly mistaken.

Its not just drivers....i was horrified to hear, when i arrived home, that a group of riders had killed a pedestrian after running a red light. We owe it to ourselves as cyclists to stand up for the rights of the weak and powerless on the roads.....that means as a cyclist when confronted with a stream of cars and for the pedestrians confronted by a stream of riders.

No one is right when they break the laws of the road. I have been, in the past, as guilty as anyone....but please for the sake of your own lives, mine and all the other people that we know and love in this world.....pay attention and do the right thing because the benefits of getting where you are headed 5 seconds or even 10 minutes earlier do not outweigh the cost of stealing a life.

To Shane, Wendy, Ricky and Erin.....words can not express my sympathy for your loss. Scott was a brilliant kid and he will be missed dearly by those who knew him. May his spirit, passion and determination live on in those that were touched by him. I know that i will never forget the small kid with the big heart.

We can all change our behaviour and help to influence those around us, lets get about doing it before it is too late.
Merry Christmas and a safe new year.....
Richard

Monday, December 18, 2006

RESURRECTION

After being drilled over the weekend by some old friends at a Christmas party, it seems there is a certain demand that i return to the blog and start telling people what it is i am doing and how my time in Australia has been. There are no excuses, i have been lazy.....i havn't even checked the site until today.....i guess that is poor form.

So im trianing again now and looking forward to a busy January that will see me compete at the LA world cup....an opportunity for me to stake my claim for a spot in the Australian team for the 2007 Wrold Track Championships. My goals are revolving around the madison. I have decided to cease my career with the individual pursuit and go out as a national bronze medal winner and a 4.28 rider. Now my full attention has shifted to the madison/points and i am looking forward to the challenge of going to our National Titles in Feb and turning my silver from the points score last year into a gold.

Instead of delving into the past 2 months and trying to come up with worthy stories, i will cover them by saying that life has been good. I have been splitting my time evenly between Kate (in Sydney) and home (in Melbourne) and i am a very happy boy leading into Christmas. I have changed my coach and am now working with David McKenzie to try and make the most of my road career and avoid the problems that i had this year with burn out.

Kate and i both road Sydney World Cup for the Australian team, and although my Teams Pursuit team came in 5th.....i can take no credit....it was a terrible personal performance and i owe that result to the 3 riders who i teamed with. Hence some of the hard decisions i have made regarding my future on the track and its direction. Kate rode far more sucessfully and won the womens points title. She has been working very hard on ironing out her weaknesses and to her rivals at this years worlds i say.......WATCH OUT!!!!

So now on the road to LA and Nationals....they are the goals and training is headed in the right direction. For those of you who dont know....Theo Bos broke the world record over 200m a couple of days ago....if you ever get the chance to go and see this man race i emplore you to do it......poetry in motion......i think what he does is commonly refered to as....'taking the piss'......seriously, go and watch him.....

Cheers to everyone for getting up me about still doing my blog, its nice to know that people still want to know what im up to....

Later