Gibson’s Caledonia nights

The year 9 Goulburn High School student decided he would like to try cycling after visiting Goulburn Cycle Club’s annual Track Power event at Seiffert Oval with his father in January 2008.

At the age of 12 he asked his father Ray Gibson, a former cycle racer for a bike and began riding with the Goulburn Cycle Club juniors. Mark has always been athletically inclined according to his father and has been a school age champion in several different sporting areas.

Though Mark had only been riding since he was 12, unlike many of his track and road competitors from other clubs across the state who’ve been riding since they were six or seven-years-old, he has been quick to pick up on the tactics needed to put himself into a good position to achieve a podium finish.

His skills have steadily improved. He has won several events and improved his ranking so much so that Cycling NSW noticed his potential, offering a position with the squad to tour to New Caledonia this week.

“This year I won the Goulburn Cycle Club’s Most Impressive Track Rider Award,” Mark said.

“I am honoured and grateful to everyone who has been helping me to improve my riding.

“This includes dad, Graeme Northey and many other people from the club as well as other people who have seen me ride and offered suggestions on how I can do better.

“This week away is a great opportunity to meet other riders, to make more friends and to improve my riding even more.

“It is hard to believe that it is happening to me and it encourages me to aim at riding in the National Championships at the Dunc Gray Velodrome in Sydney in April next year.”

Mark is a third generation road and track cyclist, both his father and grandfather competed in road and track cycling in Sydney. Mark has received sponsorship from Cycling NSW for the trip as well as Goulburn Cycle Club, which according to president Adam Lambert: “Likes to encourage its junior riders who achieve state or national selection”.