Kalorama’s Joshua Sek is hooked on mountain biking. 37662 Picture: Casey Neill
By Casey Neill
KALORAMA teen Joshua Sek is putting in the hard yards for his mountain-biking dream.
A friend introduced the 16-year-old to the sport with a visit to the Commonwealth Games mountain bike course in Lysterfield three years ago.
“We had a go and it was quite hard but it kind of got me hooked,” he said.
“I love the adrenaline of riding. I get a real rush.”
In September he claimed second place in the Australian Marathon National Championships under-18s division in Bendigo.
“I was really pleased with myself because I didn’t expect to go that well,” he said. “I was pretty stoked.”
Joshua is now the second-ranked mountain biker in Australia in his age group.
He will defend and try to improve his position at the national championships in Adelaide in January.
“I’m training hard now and just hoping for the best,” he said.
Joshua follows a weekly training plan that includes recovery riding, hard rides and core work. The 12-hour schedule keeps him busy.
“But once I put in the hard yards now it will pay off,” he said.
The Year 11 St Joseph’s College student said juggling school and cycling was difficult.
“I usually always put bike riding first, which I probably shouldn’t,” he said. “It’s hectic.”
Joshua’s biking goal is to race on the international stage. If he performs well in January he could make the Australian mountain-biking team and race overseas.
His career dream is to be an Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) cycling coach.
“Exercise science at uni is where I wanna go,” he said.
He also has a part-time job at a bike shop.
“I don’t like anything else,” he said.
“I’m not into cars at all, I hate football. The only thing I do is bikes. My schedule’s all just bikes. There’s nothing else.”
Joshua competes in mountain biking and marathon events once a month. His toughest was a 100km race this year. He was on the bike for seven-and-a-half hours.
“It was torture. It was hell. That was the worst race I’ve ever done,” he said.
“I have times where I go, that’s it, I’m selling my bikes, I’m over this sport.
“But I dunno, I’m kinda hooked. I always end up turning back.”
Joshua said he owed a lot to his coach, Jenny King, and her partner, Ed.
“They’ve helped me a lot with training and everything and believing that, with work, I can get there,” he said.
His family has also been supportive.
“Marathon champs, we were up at 4am driving out,” he said.
“My mum is brilliant because she feeds me. When I’m racing I need bottles and energy stuff handed to me while I race and she does that brilliantly.”
Joshua’s step-father drives him to events and training and his brother likes to help out where he can. His girlfriend attends most of his races.
“It’s good having her there to support me,” he said.
