Podcast Episode #4: Ross Wilson, Paralympic Double Medallist

Today I have Ross Wilson on the podcast. Ross just returned from the Paralympic Games in Rio where he managed to get 2 silver medals in track cycling (3000m pursuit) as well as the road cycling time trial. If anyone’s sitting on the couch wondering if they should start working out, or how they can find success in the gym in spite of work or family commitments, you’re going to absolutely love this talk.

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Show Notes:

2:40 – Ross discussing his own back story, his diagnosis with Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome Type 1X, losing over 100 lbs, falling in love with cycling, and essentially walking on with the national team.

9:46 – balancing training with a full-time job as an accountant, family life, and traveling for competitions

12:38 – Adjusting to his new goal of weight loss, and how he went somewhat extreme

16:50 – how he got into cycling, and what lead to him getting into the national cycling program in Canada, plus how he was categorized into the Para athlete system based on ability levels.

22:10 – how he manages weight loss and maintenance now as a highly active athlete compared to how he did when he started the weight loss goal.

24:00 – his cycling timeline from his first high level race to the Paralympics in Rio, including 2 potentially life-threatening crashes in 2015.

34:06 – What motivated him to get back on the bike after these crashes, and why it mattered so much to him.

37:55 – how he came back from crashes, set a personal best, and even a Paralympic record after only 5 months of recovery.

40:00 – how he and his coaches had to design his program specific to his condition, and how he responded to it in a different way than expected, while seeing performance improvements.

43:20 – the Paralympic experience, complete with post-race panic attacks, the athlete’s village after-party, and the entire atmosphere of the event.