When one thinks of an exceptional young cyclist with the ability to really put on a solid performance and win competitions, Martin Freyer comes to mind.
He is slowly but surely becoming a household name. His most recent achievement was his dominance at the Namibia’s Under-23 cycling division at the Nedbank Mountain-Bike Cycle challenge, in which he came first. His powerful performance earned him the second overall place behind Namibia’s XC Marathon Champion Costa Seibeb. The 19-year-old star-in-the-making is passionate and has aspirations of competing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Born in Harare, Martin moved to Namibia at the age of three. The Kia Elite rider started cycling at the age of six and had a very “colourful” childhood.
The caught up with the young star who opens up about himself and the art of cycling.
My childhood was very colourful. From a young age already, I was quite a sporty fellow who participated in various sports events. My cycling started off by just riding around the block with my siblings and father as we walked the dogs. I remember holding on to the dog’s leash so that he could pull me up a hill that I could not manage on my own. My family members cycled while I was still young. The whole family used to line up for the annual Cycle Classic 30km to compete for a family prize. My older brother first started racing in the mountain bike races. I, being the younger brother, obviously had to challenge him and thus started the competitive side of my cycling career.
From the beginning, it was my brother Oliver who inspired me. He is still my biggest supporter and really motivates me. Heiko Redecker (a class mate) has also been a role model, not only in cycling, but in many activities that we both share.
I finished my final school exams last year. In the last year, it was very difficult to fit in all the training and racing with my daily school work. I had to make tough decisions but all of them were based on prioritising. It is very important to have a balance in life, so doing something different to cycling was important for me. My school work got highest priority and I made sure that my training programme and everything else was shaped accordingly. My last year of school taught me a lot about discipline and dedication. Without these you will not be able to fit in everything you want to do. I am currently taking a gap year and do not have much to do other than cycling. I am also doing an online course from the University of Cape Town so that I still have a balance between sports and education. I enjoy keeping my mind fresh and learning new things.
Cycling is something anyone can do. If you are five years old or 50, it doesn’t matter. I am quite proud to say that I managed to get my father on the mountain bike a couple of years ago, and let’s just say that he is not the youngest guy around. Once you start riding, I can promise you that you will want to keep doing it. For me, cycling is like an escape tunnel to a different world. When I’m on my bike, I feel free. Off the bike, everyone has a status, rich or poor, skin colour or religion, but once you get onto the bike everyone is equal. You see the rider next to you as equal because you are both doing the same thing that you love.
In my six years that I have cycled, I have had many achievements. Be it finishing my first 30km cycle classic or winning international events. I think 2013 has probably been my most successful year so far. I was chosen to represent Namibia at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, as well as winning a silver medal in the Junior African Continental Mountain Bike Champs. This year though, I am in my best form yet and very excited about the results that stand before me. I am also very proud to be racing for a Swiss team this year from April till September.
If I would not have been a cyclist, I would probably have done another sport like trail running, triathlons or anything else outdoors. If I would not have chosen to be an athlete though, I would probably be sitting in University doing what everyone else is doing, but I chose different.
I think my size probably sets me apart from all my competitors. If you look at pictures of a podium or a bunch of cyclists you can be sure to recognise me. An ideal cyclist should be small, strongly built and light. I am none of those. Being 1.89m tall and probably heavier than most top cyclists definitely poses a problem. But I see it as a challenge. It shows once again that your body shouldn’t stop you from doing things. It should motivate you to overcome the challenge and to show everyone that you can do it, even though you’re not perfect.
For beginners, just go out there and have fun. If you concentrate on having fun, the results and achievements will come on their own. In the end, it’s not about if you finished first or last, it’s about self-achievement and if you had fun doing it.
