Zack Gilmore has set his sights on extending his family’s impressive cycling achievements after cementing his recovery from cancer with a dream promotion.
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Just nine months after completing two-and-a-half years of treatment, the 19-year-old has been named among seven riders to join the Australian Cycling Academy.
Founded by retired pro cyclists Ben Kersten and Matt Wilson, the Queensland-based operation will see Gilmore join a star-studded squad including all four members of Australia’s world-record-holding team pursuit outfit.
“I’m really excited. It’s such a big opportunity to be a part of the team,” he said.
“It gives me the ability to ride with some of the best cyclists in Australia, guys like Sam Welsford and Leigh Howard, it’ll be a great learning experience on and off the bike.”
Gilmore said he was proud to be following the tracks of father Matt and grandfather Graeme - both famous names in Australian cycling and members of the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame - but unburdened by expectation to match their credentials.
“I felt pressure more when I was younger. But with a bit of experience and maturity I don’t feel it as much now and the only pressure is what I put on myself, it has never come from them, they have always been so supportive.
“They understand where I came from and supported this because with time to go to university as well they see it as a double opportunity to excel and gain experience and hopefully on the bike it leads to end goals similar to where they were.”
Gilmore’s selection marks the latest swing in a three-year roller-coaster ride which he has shared with Tasmania’s tight-knit cycling fraternity.
After being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in November 2015, he spent months on an intense treatment plan in Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital.
A Go Fund Me page to finance his treatment reached its $10,000 target in just 16 hours, a Riverside High School fund-raising Facebook post attracted 32,000 hits while photos of the bald teenager cycling on a home trainer next to his hospital bed stole the hearts of many.
Gilmore, who was born in Belgium where his father and grandfather raced, believes his experience in hospital has changed his approach to sport.
“It was not anything to do with cycling but I learned a lot about myself which I have been able to bring into cycling.
“It definitely gave me a different perspective to riding.
“I enjoyed it before I got sick but now I cherish every ride. It is so much more motivating for me to be back on the bike.
“It’s given me a bit of hardness. I can go deeper than before because I know how much pain the body can go through.”
Nine months after completing chemotherapy treatment, the Tasmanian Institute of Sport scholarship holder will continue with check-ups while waiting for blood levels to return to normal.
Speaking from the Sunshine Coast following the ACA team media launch, he said the move followed a successful campaign with the TIS Racing team.
“I did a lot of racing in the National Road Series, had some decent results in criteriums and was progressing in road racing and that was good exposure to see my potential. They contacted me at one of the tours and over a couple of weeks it progressed from there.
“Dad took a step back in order for me to learn how to do it all which was a great experience for me.”
A whirlwind couple of weeks also involved a successful track nationals campaign in Melbourne where Gilmore and Launceston teenager Josh Duffy finished on the same lap as the leaders in the elite men’s madison.
Having just received ATAR results of 89.75 per cent from Launceston College, Gilmore plans to study clinical exercise physiology at the University of Sunshine Coast as it combines his experiences in hospital and on the bike.
The academy said it is confident he can continue “the Gilmore cycling legacy” which saw Matt win an Olympic silver medal and become madison world champion after Graeme’s dominance on the European six-day circuit.
“Zack shows the ability to be an all-rounder having medalled in both junior track and road nationals,” the team said on its website.
“Finishing his treatment at the beginning of this year has opened a new chapter for Zack’s cycling career, now showing great progress on both the road and track.”
In its inaugural year, the ACA competed in 10 countries, recording 94 podium finishes and 54 wins.
Managing director Kersten said: “The majority of the new team members will also be studying at USC which continues our ‘live, learn, ride’ philosophy which underpins our academy program.”
Gilmore joins the team along with Commonwealth Games gold medallist and world record holder Alex Porter, 16-time Para World Championship medallist Alistair Donohoe and former omnium world champion and NRS winner Michael Freiberg.