Carol Cooke – Swimmer, rower and now cyclist

For 4 or 5 years, Helen Kelly would see Carol Cooke in the VIS gym.  As fellow VIS athletes sharing the Monday, Wednesday and Friday core stability routine, a good friendship developed and they often stopped between exercises to swap training stories, motivate each other for upcoming power tests and discuss their next trips abroad.

Well, time has ticked by since 2010.  Helen has retired from competitve cycling, and immediately joined Bob in the Kelly Cycle Coaching ranks, whilst Carol has recently swapped from International level rowing to cycling.  Carol’s move to cycling created an opportunity for Helen and Bob to help Carol in a coaching capacity.

Carol recently partipated in the Oceania Championships, National Road and TT champs and the World Cup, Sydney, with some great success.  With limited cycling experience, her success in the above events enabled her to gain selection to the upcoming Para-Cycling Road World Championships, Denmark in September 2011. Congratulations Carol.

Carol keeps a blog for those interesting in following Carol’s progress.

Our other paracyclist Hannah MacDougall, is making great rehabilitation progress after recently having a hip arthriscope.  Her cycling training is scheduled amongst working and her honours thesis, with Hannah set to complete her studies by October.  Hannah has her sight set on competing in the Oceania Track Championships in November, and qualifying for the Para-cycling World Track Championships in February 2012.