The Aquarium

So we had another rest day yesterday and thought we would head along to Europe's well known aquarium here in Valencia. It was another hot day so only spent a few hours looking around also watched a dolphin show to finish off the visit... I just thought it would be easier put a few photos up on here.

Ups and downs. RIP Nic.

¡Hola

Firstly, I just want to say a little message; unfortunately we lost a friend, a sister, a best friend and a member of “the crew” to cancer. Everyone is still struggling to come to terms with this, but Nicola Stock I still can’t believe you are not here with us anymore you were one of the most courageous, talented and humorous young ladies I have ever met! Jerry you have always been there for her, Nic will always be watching and guiding you. Rest in peace Nic xxx.

We have now left Wales and have arrived in Spain to train in the heat and have also met up with the male sprinters that had arrived a few days earlier than us.

In Wales we were all unsure what to expect or what we would find in Wales, but we were lucky enough to venture to Cardiff on our rest day which is the capital of Wales – 30 minutes drive from Newport if we were lucky with the traffic. To start our day in Cardiff we did what all tourists do and jumped onto a double decker touring bus with Nigel our tour guide after the 50 minute tour we split up and did a bit of shopping. Wales was definitely a place that I wouldn’t have expected to go to but I have got to say I would love go back!

Wales National Velodrome, Newport

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Wales tour bus

Something interesting on the tour bus.

A castle with the girls.

More Castle

Yankees...

Out to dinner with the team.

  

The track in Newport was quite different to any other track that I have been on. We spent 10 days to familiarise ourselves with the track and especially for Natasha as the transitions on the track in Newport are very similar to the one she will be racing on during the London Olympics!! If you are on twitter I think you should follow her progress  and support her at  

https://twitter.com/#!/NatashaHansen01   

  So we have finally settled into our crib in Valencia. Our first hit out was on the road and went for a spin through Valencia’s city and we even got to ride through the start/finish straight for the formula 1 grand prix circuit! The weather here is hot and quite humid. It’s good to actually feel some heat in the sun and get some vitamin D, rather than waking up to frosts in the morning. The track here isn’t your norm it's an indoor concrete 250m, felt like I was back on Auckland’s track so it took a while to get use to it and its colour...on that not I am looking forward to getting some more Vitamin D into me and get some colour back into me!

Adiós a mis amigos!

Beach time here in Spain!

Beach again...

F1 Tourists

Valencia's Track!! Temperatures inside!

 

Arrival

Hi there,

Heavy frost - day of departure

Snow - Drive to Alexandra!

Firstly we have all safely arrived in Wales, after Natasha and John (JR) were stuck in Christchurch as they experienced an early snow fall which closed down the Christchurch airport so they met us the next day...not to mention the snow fall in and around Alexandra during May and also the heavy frost the morning I left Invercargill, so I’m not going to lie I’m pretty happy to be in ever so slightly warmer weather here. It’s meant to be summer but I don’t think Wales experience summer as well as other countries...quite similar to Invercargill .....

Governors House

But before we departed BikeNZ held a camp over the Queen’s birthday weekend for the sprinters that are off to Junior Worlds and also a few other up and coming sprinters both U17 and U19 had the privilege to be invited to the camp. They were an awesome bunch of people and I was delighted to be involved with it, even I learnt lots that weekend! Thanks to the coaches and the helpers that gave up their time and helped us all out and congrats to the Queen’s birthday Weekend champion – Jeremy Presbury, there was some great sprinting that’s for sure...can’t wait to see them in action later this year if you haven’t got your tickets yet, I suggest you should get some by visiting  this website  http://www.juniorworlds2012.com/

Diabetic alert dog :)

Governors House

On a different note at the end of May I was asked to speak at the 50th Annual Diabetes Conference in Wellington alongside another very talented Diabetic Morgan Curry. It was only for a couple of days but I was able to met lots of people and I hope everyone that was there listening to me actually got something out of it! Whilst I was up in Wellington we were also invited to the Governors House as part of the AGM and conference. I was very privileged to have met the Governor but I don’t think he was so excited to met me as I could imagine he would have met hundreds if not more people that day before he me! But still it was pretty awesome to have seen the house, wish I lived in a house like that!

Governors House

The Governor and I

So for now we are knocking up the track and the gym in Newport, Wales. We had our first day on the track today to get use to it and also to smash out some starts alongside the GB Junior Development endurance squad which was pretty cool! We will then be moving onto Valencia, Spain in 6 days here we will be meeting up with the male sprinters!

Bridge to Newport!

Casual update

Well hello there,

This would have to be procrastination at it's best, as it's been awhile since I have last updated my wee blog and I have assignments to do! But it has to be done right?

Since we are in May now and I haven't given you an update since November! There are only a few things that have happened in this space of time so it will be kept brief :)

Over the summer I was in Christchurch and I was able to attend the Carnival that was held early this year. It was a good few nights of racing..hard but fun! It was also the first time I been on the Denton track and also experienced a big earthquake so all in all it was a pretty exciting time spent in Christchurch. I must admit that the Denton track is one of a kind! I could say that my road rides were completed....on the track!

One of many long races...as you can see I'm at the back!

Nationals were held in February, this was my first Elite Nationals so it wasn't going to be easy.

But I did come away with a Gold, Silver, Bronze and a 4th - I thought that having every top 5 placing was a good variety and I was pretty happy with my results.

Tarsh and I sprinting in the final.

500m Time Trial

Team Sprint with Tarsh and coach Stu.

Keirin. Hansen 1st, Steel 2nd, Mitchell rd, Me 4th.

Graham Sycamore and I.

Later that month the Age Group nationals were held, here I was awarded the 2011 Junior Track Cyclist of the year. This was awarded to me by Graham Sycamore and was for my achievements at the 2011 Junior Worlds.

Me, Katie, Natasha and Stu.

I am now part of the New Zealand Women's sprint squad along with Katie Schofield (Dunedin), Natasha Hansen (Christchurch), myself originally from Auckland and last but not least our Walsh coach Stuart McDonald.  We are now all based here in Invercargill training together in a full-time camp environment before we head overseas early next month. I have been lucky enough to come on board and be involved with the final preparations that will be based over seas for the athletes that are heading to the London Olympics!

So, on that note I am pretty excited to head over seas to gain experience both on and off the bike and also experience living with the team! Exciting times ahead.

Olympic add...Kate and I

At the end of March Kate Dunlevey and I were involved in an add promotion for the Olympics. It was long day in a sexy retro skin-suit that had no Chamois......but lucky enough we were able to wear a chamois underneath but we were in it for 12hours straight! It was all worth it, it was a great experience and we both meet some awesome people behind the production!

If you haven't see the add on TV yet or if you have and you didn't recognize us!? Watch it  and just listen to the guys voice below or you can hit it up on you tube thanks to Cycling Southland! I hope you like it, leave a comment on your thoughts about it :)

Catch you on the flip side :)

Steph

Stepping up

Long time no see, I have been back into things for quite a awhile but have finally found some time to make a wee update on what has been happening and what I have installed over the summer.

Eddie toasting some bread!

After arriving back from Junior Worlds in Russia I had a good wee break and then was invited to my first International Sprint Grand Prix over in Sydney. After arriving to our accommodation to find out that we had limited cooking facilities and utensils we were lucky to be in Sydney for a weekend but it made the trip fun and worth while. During the weekend I got some great racing under my belt I even managed to finally go under 20 seconds a pb for my standing start lap during the Olympic team sprint format (3 team sprint in 90mins) in the team sprint we ended up 3rd. I also got 3rd in the Keirin and sprints placing behind Australia's Karlee McCulloch and Anna Meares. After the weekend I came home and had a few days off before gearing up to the 2012 WHK Oceania's held in Invercargill this was to be my first event racing an Elite women.

Gym session in the park :)

This was held over 4 days - the first day consisted of the team sprint and the 500m time trial (placed 4th in both events 2nd & 3rd had the same time so I was given a bronze medal) the next day was the Keirin which I didn't make through to the semi's but learn't some valuable lessons on the following day we had a chance to rest up and have a rest day before the final day of sprint rounds where I finished up  4th going to 3 round in the finals against Cass Kell from Australia.

2012 WHK Oceania's (Photo Credit: Emma Sutherland)

I am now looking forward to my first Elite Nationals which will be held during the last weeks of February, so for now I am back into training and will be gearing up for another exciting year ahead of myself.

Cheers,

Steph

New Legacy

The final few days of racing for me consisted with the Keirin and also the 500m time trial. I finished 2nd in the Keirin and 4th in the 500 just outside a medal! Paige finished 11th both in the Keirin and 500. this years championships have been personally the best meet so far in my cycling career, I have come away with 2 silvers, a Bronze medal, 4th place and I was so close to getting the Junior World sprint record, missing out by only 0.011s!

Start of the Keirin Final

500

Keirin podium...2nd :)

The final medal count for the New Zealand team at the 2011 Junior World Track Championships is a staggering 10 medals, this bettered the previous medal total of 5. As a team we came home with 4 Silvers and 6 Bronze medal, being a small country we have so much talent. Last year we only brought home 2 Silver medals, this year really shows how much NZ cycling has come along. Ross Machefski told the team to create a new legacy on this years campaign. In Aigle he put a short video together after discussing what we need to do to create it at the track camp early this year. We trained hard, we showed professionalism on and off the bike, we had our ups and downs but we all pulled through and created a new legacy that will stand for the next group to take on, anything is possible!

Frame winding it up in the Kilo. 11th

Soph winning a sprint in the points race. 3rd

Cassie on her way to winning 3rd in the Scratch race.

I just would like to say a big thank you to everyone and all the support that I have been given to make this all happen! Hearing the Haka and also the Po Karekare ana song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GXua6gD4Hc in the background every time one of us was on the start line made us all proud to be there, before one of my earlier sprint rounds I have got to admit I got a bit emotional hearing the song! All the hard work, planning, preparation and commitment my personal coach, Stuart MacDonald and Simone Jones put in before I headed away was phenomenal! John Rastrick....AKA JR our sprint coach from Christchurch, did a wonderful job trying to keep both Paige and I in order whilst overseas on the campaign and I am sure he was so proud to see this year's championships unfold it was truly one of a kind!

JR & I after coming 2nd in the sprints.

Also thank you to those that have financially helped me get there, I literally would not have done it without you, once again thank you to the Canterbury Orthopaedic Services, Don Oliver Sports foundation, SPARC,  Cycling Southland, ILT, Cycle City and last but not lest my wonderful parents, Murray and Debbie McKenzie! They were unable to attend this year's championships because they bought me a house in Invercargill so that I can train using the only indoor Velodrome in NZ even if it is at the bottom of NZ, I want to train to be the best and reach those goals.

Yesterday, I arrived back into New Zealand early morning and meet both my parents before my next departure to Christchurch and onto Invercargill.....Righto from here I am having a short break so I can also catch up on my Massey Papers and then will be back into it focusing on the Oceania's (Nov 21st-24th), which will be held here in Invercargill this will be my first race meet where I am Elite so I am really looking forward to it!!

Arriving into Auckland...with my parents :)

So, that's all for now, thank you for taking the time to read my blog hope you have enjoyed it.

Steph