Fil-Am champion Coryn Rivera touches base, shares passion
A professional since the age of 16, Ms. Rivera has amassed a total of 71 US national championships in four different cycling disciplines — road, track, cyclocross, and mountain bike.
BACK in the country after 15 years, Filipino-American world tour cyclist Coryn Rivera is in the country to touch base with her roots and share her passion for the sport of cycling which she admits to have given her a lot.
Set to compete in Pru Life UK’s PRUride PH 2018 which is happening this weekend and the next, 25-year-old Rivera shared that she is surprised and at the same time excited to see how cycling has grown in the Philippines since she was last here.
“I’m surprised how it has grown big since I was last here. I rode here for the first time [at the weekend] and I think I saw around 300 cyclists in Tagaytay. I was really impressed with that and with people recognizing me on the road, wanting to take pictures with me. Currently the growth of cycling in the Philippines has been huge in the last 15 years and [ as a cyclist] I am very happy with that,” Ms. Rivera, now riding with Team Sunweb of the Netherlands, said in an interview with a small group of media people early this week.
She went on to say that cycling is something that she would advise others to pick up as a hobby and form of physical fitness or even as a career like the road she has taken.
“Cycling is great for a lot of reasons. And, yes, for sure if they are happy doing it I will definitely suggest others to pick it up as an activity and even a career,” Ms. Rivera said.
A professional since the age of 16, Ms. Rivera has amassed a total of 71 US national championships in four different cycling disciplines — road, track, cyclocross, and mountain bike.
She has raced in the junior, collegiate, under-23, and professional categories over her career.
Ms. Rivera, who officially starts her season late next month in Belgium, is coming off a successful 2017 season where she emerged as a winner in a number of races in the pro circuit, including the Tour of Flanders for Women in Belgium and Prudential RideLondon Classique.
“I officially start my season at the end of February in Belgium, which is the first spring classic of the racing season. While I’m here, I’m going to ride and enjoy myself and get ready for the year,” she said.
Ms. Rivera underscored that while she has not been in the country that often, she is very much proud of her Filipino roots, thanks to her parents, father Wally and mother Lina, who have instilled in her a lot of values, particularly hard work, which she has benefitted from as a cyclist.
“It’s ( being Filipino) very much part of who I am. My parents are my role models. They are very hardworking and that is one quality that Filipinos have that is really helping me in cycling,” she said.
Born and raised in the United States, Ms. Rivera said that unfortunately she can no longer race for the Philippines. But she was quick to say that she is encouraged with what is happening in the local cycling scene and wish nothing but the best for the national team.
“After seeing how many are taking up the sport and how invested they really are in it, it’s really exciting and hopefully I can come back more often and maybe share my experience with the riders here,” said Ms. Rivera, who is targeting to race in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Pru Life UK’s PRUride PH 2018 happens this weekend, Jan. 11-14, in Subic, Zambales and on Jan. 21 in McKinley West, Taguig.