For some of you reading, I may have not seen you for a number of months, or even years, and for you real unlucky characters it may have only been a day since you last saw me. None the less, this first instalment of to-be regular blogs from myself serves as a catch-up of sorts, what I’ve done with myself since leaving home in early 2014 and how my aspirations in life have shifted over this period. Covering over three years, this initial post is pretty meaty, so take a seat, grab a brew, and get stuck in.
My life’s seen some pretty substantial changes in the past three years; I’ve left home, gone to Uni, met some incredible new people, had new experiences, questioned my position in sport, and my life intentions, and experienced the day-to-day trials and tribulations that surround us all.
Growing up as a part of a large family in Marlborough, NZ, I always had a plentiful amount of caring and supporting people right by my side, to this day my family still plays a big role in my life, and I know this will never change. Moving away from such influential people of my life was daunting, but the prospect of change was exciting. My first year in the Waikato I lived in the student Halls, and got stuck into my first year of a Bachelor of Management Studies. I met some epic people in the first days of Uni, many of which I’m proud to call my good mates, and am lucky to have had around for the past couple years. 2014 saw a decline in my time on the bike, a stomach infection from Feb through to March pitted me out of contention for any National selection, while patella femoral syndrome in my left knee in October forced me off the bike- kicking off a period of serious self evaluation which would last for close to a year.
Going into 2015 I was pretty complacent. I’d had a ripper of a summer back home with my family and mates, but had begun questioning my intentions within the sport. Upon arrival back to the Waikato, I moved into my first flat with four of my best mates, and ensued a massive learning curve of a year. A kick up the ass from my good mate Huw, after a few months of inactivity was the final push that got me back riding. My long term coach, mentor, and friend Chris Ginders revised my positioning on the bike, and together we formulated a programme that would aim to best rebuild me prior to the Oceania Champs in Invercargill, in October 2015. The initial weeks of getting back on the bike could be described as nothing more than a uphill battle, I was weak in the gym, sluggish on the bike, and frequently came home frustrated. In my mind this period of frustration was necessary to getting me back, it built my drive and gave me a platform to benchmark myself upon moving forward. The Oceania’s were a breakthrough for me; smashing 2.5yr-old personal bests in both timed events exceeded all expectations I’d previously held.
For the first time in years I was riding solely for the love it, and enjoyed every moment of it. This mentality is one I developed over the course of 2015, this, along with the importance of the people I’m around, and loving the things I’m doing are some principles I’ll hold close for the rest of my life.
About a month after Oceas, with my second year of Uni polished off, i’d kicked into a summer of hard training with my sights set for Nationals in February. Some weeks into training, I was out spinning on a hot Waikato summer day. A lapse of attention, and being slightly too ambitious at my ability to make it across a road prior to oncoming traffic left me lying on the sidewalk, with a busted shoulder and bike, blood pissing out of my chin and side, and a driver rushing out of his now-dented car to my aid.
In the initial days following the crash I had some massive help from Mark and Rhonda Ingle, who took on the role as secondary parents, something I’ll be forever grateful of. While my good mate Jeremy took me in for the weekend. A series of scans, and meetings with Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Thin Hong, and the Physio’s at Performance Plus Physio in Hamilton confirmed that my previously unstable shoulder had taken a whack incapable of being repaired by physio alone. A tear to my labram, and dislodging of pieces of bone from both my shoulder and arm meant that surgery was no longer a backup plan; but rather a necessity, and so it was booked for April 14, 2016.
Fast forward a month to it December 19 as I boarded the 2:30am Ferry bound for Picton after a whirlwind of a month, and I couldn’t wait to be back with my family. I spent the next week relaxing before myself and my good mate Connor walked the Abel Tasman track to see in the new year. Connor, like a lot of my mates I made during my high school days, I see little of, but when I do its always a ripper of a time, and a reminder of the terrific people I’m lucky to have around me. Following our excursion, Chris put together a plan to get me back in shape for the nationals just four weeks away, after over a month of inactivity due to my shoulder. To me, Chris epitomizes someone pursuing the things he loves, throughout the 10-odd years I’ve known and trained under Chris his only motive for coaching has been seeing us succeed and our love for the sport grow, calling the days we race to our best abilities his ‘pay day’.
In the space of a month, Chris closely monitored my training, constantly tweaking it to get the most out of the time frame we had left; all the while ensuring my body and mind didn’t falter. I turned up to the nationals, and the legs and head Chris built got me two more Personal Bests, and a Bronze Medal in the Men’s Team Sprint. I went into this experience with everything to give, and nothing to loose, and I think the enjoyment I held throughout it was testament to this mindset.
Following the Nationals, my focus switched to preparation to surgery; ensuring I had the best range of movement and strength in my shoulder/ arm, as the surgery required being sling-bound for three months following the procedure. Throughout these three months, I was strictly instructed to do no exercise; aside from the occasional leisurely walk. I grew lazy and lethargic, my motivation and uni grades slipped, and by the end of A semester of 2016 I’d produced some of the worst grades of my Uni careers; risked loosing my Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship, as well as throwing the prospect of being selected for the honours programme of my degree seemingly out of reach.
In the break between semesters, I set off to Europe with my family for a three-week excursion around Germany, France, and Italy. This experience was sensational, I can’t quite put into words what a contrast this trip was, following a time of ongoing self-induced stress, and disappointment. I returned back to NZ motivated, and reinvigorated to patch a few things up. I knew I had to produce some of the best results of my University career in order to be considered for honours, and hold my scholarship, and I knew I wanted to get over the period of sluggish-ness on the bike as soon as I could.
Prior to kicking fully into training, I embarked on a week-long trip with four mates around the bottom of New Zealand jammed in a Jucy campervan. Intending to walk the Kepler track, we realised that being under-conditoned, and underprepared may not be the best means of tackling the 60km loop, especially in the peak of Winter. Instead we set off on what would be one of the most spontaneous, incredible, terrifying, truly terrific weeks of our lives. Hunting in the Catlins, chomping on Fish and Chips in Bluff, chasing Waterfalls (sorry TLC) in the Milford Sound, a mid-Winter Swim at the bottom of the Island, and taking on Dunners best we could wrapped up ripper of a week with four top-shelf guys, and a final hit-out to end my four-month break.
Earlier in the year, I’d been selected as a member of the Waikato/BOP Regional Performance Hub, spearheaded by ex-Olympic sprinter, and now coach Jon Andrews. This programme provided me with access to vital track time, while working alongside a sterling bunch of Waikato cyclists. The bond that formed between the riders of the Hub over the course of the year was truly epic, and was testament to the environment Jon fostered. As my performance on the bike increased, as did my grades. A sense of routine gave me the means to get the most out of my days, and by November 2016 I’d produced my most successful semester of my Uni career, successfully held onto my scholarship, and been accepted into the management school honours programme. Sir Edmund Hillary Programme Manager Greg O’Carroll, and my flatmate Michael Harris are two characters who had been most influential to ensuring that I got back on my feet best I could.
Greg consistently ensured I was managing my affairs well, and had the support necessary to achieve my goals of the semester. Greg’s been the manager of the Hillary programme for the entirety of my degree, and its been nothing but a pleasure having him as one of my key supporters. Greg provides the means for scholars to perform to the best of their abilities, and genuinely loves seeming them do so, and I’ve got a hell of a lot to thank him for. I’ve flatted with Mike since 2014 through to now, and while I’ve driven him up the wall with inability to do dishes promptly, and my lack of logic for everyday tasks, he’s always been the first to make sure I’m doing alright and has been huge in driving me to my success. At the end of the year he’ll be off, along with many of my Uni mates, out of the Tron onto bigger and better things. While I’ll be sad to see him go I’m stoked with the opportunities he’s made for himself and can’t wait to see him seize them.
Following exams I then committed the summer to doing everything I could to produce the best results I could come Nationals in Feb 2017. Work I did, my gym Coach Kristina Jessup, who did the best job I could’ve wished for in getting me back in shape following surgery, Jon, and Chris each got me stuck in over the summer. I spent my days leading into Christmas relaxing and driving down the country with my little brother Bruno, before spending Christmas with my extended family in Wellys. A quick trip home, seeing in the new year at a local beach with a handful of schoolmates, and I was back up in the Waikato, doing the final work before the Nationals in the deep south in Feb. The month flew by, and before I knew it I was once again on the start line. My results came as a combination of the work put in by Chris, Jon, and Krissie, my mindset towards competing, and a body full of stellar home cooking courtesy of the hosts with the most; Helen and Max Presbury, parents of my good mate Jem and long time endurers of smelly teenage cyclists. Once again I produced personal bests in both timed events, and rode out of my skin to surprise myself, and the cycling community, to take 4th in the Elite Mens Sprint, and a silver medal in the Team Sprint as a member of the Waikato/BOP team.
I couldn’t contain my excitement, to come back from where I was mid 2016, and produce my best rides to date, with my parents in the crowd cheering me on, was a pretty special moment. During, and the days following the Nationals, I spoke with National Sprint Coaches Jono Hamlin and Anthony Peden, and was offered a spot in the Sprint Programme. The opportunity to train under these two, the remainder of the CNZ staff, on world class equipment, in a world-class facility, with world-leading team mates, is an honour and a privilege.
While my focus had been solely towards the nationals, a few other things had been going on in the woodwork. Only three days after arriving home I celebrated my 21st birthday with my closest friends and family, living up north the time I have with the people I still hold as some of my greatest friends is slim, so to have everyone I’ve grown up alongside together was really special.
Then, just two days later, two of my best mates from college; Leatham Landon-Lane, Nick Blakiston, and I set off on an ambitious 6-day 600km-loop through Marlborough, Tasman, and North Canterbury. Through the aid of Nicks dad Joe, and brother Jimmy, we soldiered on to complete the ride. To spend the longest time I had done in three years with these two guys, doing the thing all three of us love; getting lost on our bikes, was an epic adventure. Reconnecting with two guys I’m lucky to call my mates, all the while burying ourselves with no goal or finish line or time frame was refreshing and uplifting. We doubled the ride as a means of fundraising for the recently earthquake-damaged Kaikoura region, and look forward to embarking again in a months time, this time through Kaikoura to deliver our fundraising efforts in person.
The day following the ride, it was round two on the party front. My parents combined 50th had stacks of family and friends congregating once again, all donning 80’s themed outfits. The playlist dad spent nothing short of 7 hours crafting the day of the party, paid serious dividends, with many committing to the make-shift dance floor until the early hours of Sunday. Three more days were spent at home before I left up north once again, ready to kick-off training under the New Zealand Sprint programme. I spent two days in Welly, moving my sister Belle in to her first year of Uni, studying Fashion and Business in Welly, and relaxing with my dad and extended family, drinking in the plethora of craft beers Wellington has on offer. Upon returning to the Waikato two months went by, and I’d settled into life as a full-time athlete well. A single paper at uni meant that I was keeping busy outside of training.
Following a group meeting one day at Uni I got a call from Mum. She had a shaky tone to her voice, and told me to take a seat. Mum went onto tell me that there had been a fire at home, and that while our family was safe, our little dog Mac has passed in the fire. I did my best to comfort each of my siblings, and my parents, but my own frustration came at the physical distance, and seeming useless-ness I felt. My coach Jono, along with Anthony allowed, and furthermore insisted I go home and visit my family. I went back for a week, got out on the bike on familiar roads, relaxed with my sisters and mum, and went hunting with my brother and dad. This time, and the entire process proved invaluable to support one another. Prior to this, I thought I grasped the concept of the insignificance of ‘things’, but it wasn’t until this experience, that not anything, not even a home my parents created over the course of two decades is worth shit if you don’t have the people you love to share it with. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who aided my family through this time. Jo and David Grigg, my loving grandparents; Chris Gill (Gar), and Pam (Chenava,) and Lawrence (Chena) Saunders; The Smith and Rose Familys, and countless others who offered support, amenities, food, housing, and everything in between. Its time like these that small communities, like Marlborough, show what they stand for and why.
Coming back from Marlborough I carried on with training, in preparation for a two-month campaign in the States, which brings us to today. I’m sitting in a Bagel Bar in Downtown Kutztown, Pennsylvania. There’s only 2 ½ weeks left of the campaign; in the past month-and-a-bit I’ve raced more than I have in the past three years, learnt a lot of lessons, some easy, some not so, and had an incredible time making some new mates. Over the next two weeks we’ll be making the most of the warmer climates by getting in some invaluable hours on the road, and in the gym, all the while racing the Friday night meets down at the Valley Preferred Cycling Centre in Trexlertown, PA. This final month is focussed around ‘building the engine’ for the World Cup season in the early parts of summer, and Oceanias in late November, which double as final selection for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
This publication, as long as it is, is merely a snapshot of the things I’ve had going on in the past few years. There are two notable stories of the past year I want to mention. Firstly my best mate Hugo. In the past three years I’ve seen Hugo grow into a stellar man. He’s overcome adversity from a variety of avenues in his life to go from lacking some direction, to solidifying himself as a key member of a growing landscaping firm in Christchurch, all the while studying towards a degree, and being a terrific partner, brother, son, and mate. The second, is my youngest sister Leigha. Early in this year Leigha prolapsed a disc in her back, placing her in immense physical pain, and at times under overwhelming mental distress. Though through this experience she’s bettered herself; preparing herself for a Vet degree at Massey, taken up a position as a volunteer at the SPCA, and stood up to the plate as the rock of our family following the fire. I love each of my siblings unconditionally, and are proud of each of them. But having seen Leigha grow into the strong-willed, focussed, and independent individual she is, has been a pleasure.
I’m a work in progress. It’s humbling being able to step back and see what I’ve accomplished over the course of the past year, all the while looking forward to the coming years, and the challenges in store. The last thing I want to be is complacent, so I’m constantly in the pursuit of being the best version of myself, and thank each of you for giving me the means, and support, to do so.
Until next time,
Callum 
Sir Edmund Hillary Scholar, and Management Student at the University of Waikato
Elite New Zealand Track Cyclist for Cycling New Zealand
Prime Ministers Athlete Scholarship Recipient
Raised on Wrekin 