Charlotte Varcoe
YOUNG Mount Gambier athlete Tess Wight has received a prestigious award following an extensive career in cycling.
At just 17-years-old Wight received the Governor of South Australia Commendation 2021 award due to her ongoing cycling and sporting achievements combined with her SACE achievements.
Wight said she was told about the nomination, stating it was a surprise to her then, let alone being a recipient.
“To receive the offer in general I was speechless because I don’t study or do sport to achieve these types of nominations,” Wight said.
“Receiving the award was a nice reward for my achievements and I did not expect it at all.”
Wight said she took a break from cycling throughout the year to focus on completing high school, yet was still happy with her past achievements.
“My last big competition for cycling was early this year in Ballarat but due to the pandemic there has been next to no competitions held which is really annoying,” she said.
“I got into cycling 10 years ago because my father was into triathlons which was a big thing for him, so my older siblings also became interested.
“I would go and watch them all compete which made me want to start competing in sports rather than watch.”
Wight said there had been a number of highlights across her cycling career so far, including her first performance at the elite track race in Brisbane.
“Cycling has taken me all across Australia, I have actually raced a little bit of everywhere because where the nationals are held changes for juniors all the time,” she said.
“I love racing and beating personal bests but meeting new people from across the country is also great.”
Not sure whether she will pedal back into competitions, Wight said she was just eager to get back on the bike and experience cycling in the big city.
“I will definitely participate in local racing in Adelaide and see where that takes me but it is a competitive sport and I just want to see where things go,” she said.
Giving advice for future Year 11 and Year 12 students, Wight said organisation was key to a successful balance between sport and study.
“Students need to just remember to be super organised, because sports can take up a lot of time,” she said.
“I found it works best if people spend their spare time competing or training rather than stress and make sure they do their school work first so they can focus on training or racing outside school and study hours without being stressed.”
