Graves reaches career milestone
❝ I have never really focused too much on medals. I have always tried to better my own personal bests and I set that time as a goal and it looked like I would never get there.
— Nathan Graves
CYCLING: Nathan Graves is the first to admit he doesn’t race for medals any more.
Graves claimed three gold medals at the Queensland track cycling championships last week, but it was another achievement at the Sleeman Centre in Brisbane that held more significance for him.
The Toowoomba rider finished on top of the podium in the 200 metre sprint, team pursuit and the keirin.
Though it was his Queensland record breaking 10.3 second ride in the 200m sprint that represented a massive step in his career.
“That particular time has been a goal for almost the entirety of my track cycling career, or at least the best part of the last four years, so to finally do it was really good,” he said.
“I have never really focused too much on medals. I have always tried to better my own personal bests and I set that time as a goal and it looked like I would never get there but I made a lot of progress in the last few months.”
Graves had good reason to think he would never get there.
He previously suffered a crash on the road that left him with a open wound that split across his knee.
Though after cleaning up with three gold medals at the state championships, he is certain that the coming national championships in six weeks time will be his best shot at landing a medal in his career after a long road to recovery.
“I crashed into a fence and it really sliced me open so I have a fairly visible scar on the front of my knee still,” Graves said. “I am well past that now and if you compare me to this time last year I am definitely a lot stronger on the bike.
“I have always struggled with the step up to nationals and I try to remain optimistic but I do think that this year is going to be my time.”