Saskatchewan athlete chasing spot on junior national cycling team

Most people use Saskatoon’s Spadina Crescent to get to and from work, but Micaiah Besler uses it to work out as she chases a spot on the junior national cycling team.

“I just really like the challenge of it, and then working hard and seeing how it pays off when you improve, and I just like going fast too, that’s fun,” track and road cyclist Micaiah Besler said.

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The 17-year-old used to be a national-level diver, but an abusive coach derailed her dreams in the pool.

“My coach, he was kind of getting to the point where he was emotionally abusive. It wasn’t a very healthy environment,” Besler said.

Besler needed out, but wanted a new way to chanel her energy.

“I’ve just always done sports, ever since I was little, so I couldn’t really imagine not doing something, not having something else to do,” Besler said.

By chance, a spot at a track training session in British Columbia opened up and Besler seized it.

“Just wanted to do it because it was also like the velodrome and I’m like, ‘I’ve never done that before, it looks kind of fun but kind of scary,’” Besler said.

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Just over a year later, Besler has gone from being unknown to being shortlisted for the junior national team.

“When I first got on that track at nationals it was the biggest group of cyclists I ever raced against, so I was nervous a little bit, but after the first mass start race I was like, ‘OK, I can do this,’” Besler said.

The province has no velodrome, but Besler substitutes.

“Long, flat, boring roads … by yourself … that’s what it is,” Besler said.

“Yea, it sucks, it does. But it makes when you do get on the velodrome so much more exciting.”

With her team and coach in B.C., Besler makes as many trips as her family can afford but technology eases the financial pain.

“Most cyclists, we all have Garmin’s or some sort of device like that and it hooks up to either sensors, or power meters on your bike and then that tracks your information and you’re able to download it to a computer and send it,” Besler said.

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Besler’s coach monitors and personalizes her training from B.C.

Even though she’s still learning the sport, she has big dreams.

“I think going to the Olympics would be definitely a goal of mine. And representing Canada as an elite athlete, not just a junior would definitely be a goal,” Besler said.

In the meantime, Besler hopes she can shift gears to the junior world championships in Italy later this summer.