A Milton resident is on her path to make the Olympics.
It was announced this week that Madison Dempster was named to Cycling Canada’s NextGen Athletes list.
She says it feels “pretty good” to make the roster.
She was listed under the Sprint – Track program, and will be joined by Oakville’s Andrew Scott.
Dempster says she’s had a lot of people help her get to this point, and that Cycling Canada’s NextGen Lead Coach, Jenny Trew, has been a major factor in keeping her grounded. She attributes Trew’s work on mental health as a key aspect that has helped develop her as the cyclist she is today.
With the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton attracting a lot of talent from across the country, Dempster says it’s nice to be training with top level athletes.
She adds that it’s been a real game changer for her development to have the Velodrome in Milton, particularly because it’s so close to home.
COVID-19 has made it difficult for Dempster this year. She says with the pandemic being what’s been, track time has been hard to get. She says that’s forced her to do a lot of work at home. That hasn’t stopped Dempster yet, as she says she’s been putting her head down and doing the work needed to get better.
The goal for Dempster and the other 46 athletes on the NextGen list is to make it to the 2024 Olympic Games and/or Paralympic Games in Paris.
