Update/Rundown from my stint in japan over the last 2 years.
It was a dream come true to be invited to participate in the International Keirin Circuit in Japan and during my six month and five month stay over 2009/2010, I learnt and experienced many fantastic things.
I was one of five from around the world to be picked from the world of track cycling, which was such a great honor.
I had never competed in Japan before, so I was going in blind. Thankfully some good results came pretty quickly and I won my first two races of 2009, earning me a spot in the final where I took 2nd place.
From then on things stayed pretty much on that pathway during my 2009-2010 stint. In 2009 I won 25 races out of 42 and won five finals making me one of the most successful international riders to compete in Japan. With two World Cup gold medals, a silver medal in the World Championships and the fastest time posted by an Australian on a 250m standard track, 2009 saw my best season to date. Leading into 2010, mentally things got a lot harder as everyone knew I had some talent in the Keirin Circuit, so the pressure was high to win and do better than 2009.
In 2010 I didn’t get the chance to compete in as many races as the year before however I was much more consistent, finishing up with a perfect record, qualifying for every final at every race that I competed in and walking away with four finals wins and an overall 19 wins from 33 races. Over the two years combined my results confirmed the fact that I had become one of the best international athletes to have competed in Japanese Keirin.
During my stay, I learnt so much both mentally and physically about how to prepare for events as well as staying well conditioned over a long period. I also experienced working with the Japanese media due to the huge following of Keirin racing there.
I am very grateful that I got to experience Japan the way I did. I believe it has helped me become not only a more professional cyclist but also a better person and would love to return to race, should I get this fantastic opportunity once more.
