MOUNT Gambier cyclist Tess Wight has just received a welcome boost as she continues to push ahead in her chosen sport.
Wight was recently awarded the Wal Smith Cycling Foundation Scholarship, which consists of a cash payment to simply help with the expense involved in the sport.
Smith was a cycling icon in the Casterton region, well known around races such as the Casterton 50.
The scholarship helps to remember Smith, as well as assisting country children who have a love for the sport, with Wight fitting the bill perfectly.
The Wight family certainly has a passion for cycling, with Luke (Under 19) and Amy (Under 17) both competing and Tess set to continue in that vein, currently in the Under 15 category.
She rides both road and track and is currently in the South Australian state development squad under coach James Glasspool.
She made the state team last year and competes at a national level around the country, including Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and even across Bass Straight into Tasmania, where she finished fourth in the road Nationals last year.
It seems like a tough road for a young cyclist, but something so many in the region are up against in any sport if they wish to excel at the elite level.
For Wight it is not just the sport, but something she also enjoys with her family, forming friendships along the way while trying to push herself to improve each outing.
“I like how you can travel with your family to the races and I can see all my friends interstate,” she said.
“Every race I see how I go – I sometimes have good days and sometimes don’t – but I try to learn from that and get something out of every race I do.”
Wight said she prefers road events than track, despite being hit by a car last year in Adelaide, which resulted in a broken nose.
“I had a week off, but raced the week after that,” she said.
“The doctor didn’t want me too but I did.
“But I prefer road races because you are getting out in the country more.”
However, Wight does have a love of the indoor velodromes.
“I haven’t been doing much indoors apart from Adelaide for State,” she said.
“I love the indoor track, it is a lot quicker and there is no wind.
“It is a board track, so if you go too slow you can fall off and can get burns and splinters, but its not too bad.”
The next big race for Wight will be the Nationals in Melbourne, where she hopes to simply improve from last year.
“I would like to medal, but even a top 10 for most of my races I would be happy with,” she said.
“Last year I finished about top 15 for most of my events, so it would be good just to see I am improving.”
While many aspiring young athletes dream of making it big in their chosen sport, Wight also harbours some ideals, but is realistic about her future in cycling, understanding the expense involved and the level of commitment required.
“It is a very expensive sport,” she said.
“My closest goal would be to go well at the road Nationals and try to medal.
“Other than that I would like to make Under 17 teams.”
Taking into account the cost associated with the sport – which sees Wight with a Cervelo T4 track bike and a Giant Envie road bike in the shed – she has already made practical plans for the funds received from the scholarship.
“We will use that mostly for travel, because we have to travel a fair bit for races and training,” she said.
And that long road continues for the Wight family, with Luke competing in Brisbane this weekend, before both Tess and Amy head to Melbourne at the end of the month for the road nationals.
