This post has generated a surprising amount of discussion and support backing calls for more female athletes to be recognised by TNN, including from head sponsor Novo Nordisk - well beyond what this post set out to achieve. It will be great to see this result in further positive outcomes for the female athletes who remain with their program.
Best wishes to you, Steph, for a great 2014 and beyond. You deserve it.
xxx
Original post below - posted on the 20th March, 2014
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This past week has been pretty amazing for one rider.
One rider who, when the National body cut funding, was able to work around this issue through hard work and dedication, and from utilising opportunities to find support through another, high profile racing team.
One rider who, since the age of 8, has had to deal with life with type 1 diabetes in a sport fuelled by adrenaline. Exercise + adrenaline + extended race programming = a complicated management equation. This athlete has had to learn the hard way on how to manage this, and is now seeing the results of years of hard work.
Last year, this athlete won their first senior National title in the blue ribbon event of track sprinting. An amazing achievement on its own.
Last week, again, this rider had to successfully manage their life with type 1 diabetes, add in the pressure of being the defending champion, and cope in an environment with significantly limited funding.
What was the result?
Four gold medals, and one silver.
Outstanding. Seriously, outstanding.
I watch, as I always do, the steady progression of this fast and dedicated athlete, and to see these results my heart filled with happiness and pride. I am inspired, knowing a little about the struggles of their journey and knowing that despite their stellar performances, deep down they are just like everyone else with Type 1 diabetes, having good days and not so good days.
Knowing how hard it is to come up at your best day after day is no easy feat for anyone, let alone someone with type 1 diabetes. So, understandably, the successes received huge recognition in this athlete's home country in print and on tv. Some of the news articles covering the results are listed below.
I was pleased to see the team this athlete races for recently announced their Athlete of the Week.
At last count, at 11:16pm Melbourne time on the 19th of March, there has not been ONE mention of the achievements from the past week by the team that this athlete has signed for, and who kindly mentions their team, or team slogan, in all their social media work. Not one.
Incredible. Seriously, incredible.
This is despite the rider informing the team of their results over the past week. Ignorance cannot be claimed here.
So, my biggest congratulations to you, Steph Mckenzie of New Zealand, who since 2013 rides for Team Novo Nordisk, for going above and beyond in achieving all you have in your chosen field, for being such a fantastic role model and spokesperson for type 1 diabetes and exercise. And for just being a really great person. You deserve every success and you should be acknowledged by the diabetes world for your efforts, even if your team doesn't think so.
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| Photo credit: NINZ Dianne Manson |
To confirm her achievements in the past week:
GOLD: standing lap
SILVER: 500m Time Trial
GOLD: individual sprint
GOLD: team sprint
GOLD: keirin
at the 2014 New Zealand NATIONAL track championships.
Steph is very lovely about the whole situation despite the lack of recognition by her team, and the funding cuts to the national sprint program last year. On her page, she kindly wrote:
""It's not what happens to you that matters, but how you react to it" - Epicititus (Greek Philosopher). This quote was in one of my Sport Psychology lectures and you can take this in, in many different ways. Us BikeNZ female athletes had no funding last year and our performances at nationals shows that we are still self driven and determined to represent our country with pride (Juniors & Seniors)."
Steph, you also represented the entire Type 1 diabetes world with pride, and we salute you.
By the way, you can support Steph by liking her page on facebook (which shows just how dedicated she is to her team, despite their inexplicable ignorance of her achievements).
Some of the articles on Steph from the NZ papers in the past week:
http://tvnz.co.nz/othersports-news/young-kiwi-sprinters-defend-cycling-titles-5865518
http://www.3news.co.nz/Cyclists-gear-up-for-Commonwealth-Games-selections/tabid/415/articleID/336124/Default.aspx
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/9824651/Southland-cyclist-take-first-track-nationals-title
Note: this is not a post to bag the other athletes supported by Team Novo Nordisk. I am sure they are fine athletes who, if they knew about Steph, would be a little embarrassed about how such significant results and achievements are being ignored by their team. I am simply questioning the choice of Team Novo Nordisk to select a Men's Team rider over a female and multiple national champion, and also why they seemed to have failed to acknowledge any of her achievements.
I look forward to Team Novo Nordisk correcting this situation as soon as possible.
