Thank you, Cycling Canada, I am very grateful.
It is a moment that feels unusual; most of the time I am in motion, not under the spotlight. To my coaches, my team, my family, and my dear friends, receiving this recognition is humbling, because you are all part of it. ‘Never stop being a seeker’ is a guidance statement that has been my compass on an off the saddle. Sport shapes us in ways we often only understand once we step outside the circle. It taught me that excellence isn’t a moment; it’s a rhythm and a pattern.
Cycling is about sensations – the ones you can’t explain to people who haven’t lived them. The electricity felt before a race starts… Sometimes they are the thoughts that show up when things get hard. And swearing silently when you’re already struggling… but someone in the peloton decides to launch an all-out attack. Cycling is also the freedom of riding through an open field, pushed forward by the wind – and already cursing it because you know it will be a painful return home. You can picture yourself with your head glued to the stem, hands in the drops, bowing humbly and wondering what on earth you’re doing out there. And somehow, you go back.
Beyond all of that, cycling is about belonging – to a team, to a community, to something that carries you further. Most of my athletic life happened far from moments like this – waiting for the Bromont track to dry, riding on the road, going up and down Sommet-Trinité, Chemin de la Montagne, Camilien-Houde, le Mont Shefford… Reaching milestones was part of the story, but it was never the destination (that part I kept to myself), and it doesn’t define my journey. Through it all, my friends and family were the anchor. Most importantly, for some, the sacrifice was enduring my infamous tasteless tofu veggie satay because it was fast and functional. Their support happened on the sidelines, but it made everything else possible.
The moments that stay are the training sessions with the coach, riding inches away from the moto’s rear wheel while being brought up to 50 km/h. They’re the trips that never go as planned. They’re the 2:30 a.m. alarms to catch an 8 a.m. flight home. The teammates with whom we play hockey with mini-sticks in a hotel hallway, or having a bike box on our lap because there’s not enough space in the vehicle after picking up everyone at the airport… They are the moments spent with your teammate who tries to explain how to use a walking cane, the teammate whose sense of humour is to take off his leg to make people react… Works every time, even when we are used to it. These moments are unforgettable.
It’s humbling to be the only woman and the only Paralympian in this cohort. It also means we must keep advocating for more women and paracyclists on the start line. This moment is not only about me; it’s an opportunity to serve a purpose and make us question what we can do better to have more women on the starting line. It’s also taking our responsibilities as athletes part of the sports industry, to question our behaviour with sports equipment and how organisations operate. We call cycling anything but polluting. Visibility matters. Not for attention, but for belonging. If my career reveals anything, it’s that limits move. They are not fixed. And the only way to know what you’re capable of is to try – not when it’s convenient, not when it’s certain, but when it’s time. That time has always been the same: NOW!
In 1962, Jackie Robinson said that ‘a life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives’. Always be employed in doing something useful. I had the privilege of being a mentor to a paracyclist. The odd detail was that she was in the same category I raced in. It has been an interesting trip down memory lane, supporting her as best as I could by sharing my experience with her. It’s easy to be around people when things go well, but the most important thing is being there when things don’t go as planned. I told her things I couldn’t manage to tell myself; it’s always easier when it comes from someone else. To the next generations: be curious, and be stubborn. Remember that Excellence isn’t loud. It’s consistent. Always be employed in doing something useful, and never stop being a seeker!
Thank you,
Marie-Claude Molnar PLY, HoF26
