Sports
Enrique Rupert
WHILE many athletes over 60 leave vigorous activity behind, San Fernando native Cyril Fook is doing the opposite. The 70-year-old cyclist is still hitting his stride.
Fook began cycling around the age of 15, by coincidence, and through a school event.
“I was attending St Thomas Aquinas High School in San Fernando and we had a sports day. There was a race and I beat cyclists who were in actual cycling clubs.
“One of the boys that I beat told the coach that I won and that’s how they invited me to train with them.”
Fook said he took the offer and went to the park for the training session. He explained that during the session, riders were required to cycle for 20 minutes, and then sprint on the sound of a whistle. Fook said he passed all the other riders with ease.
“The coach came home that day and told my mother, ‘We have to buy a bike for this fella.’”
From there, Fook became quite good at the sport, which helped him earn numerous spots on junior national teams.
“A year and a half after I started cycling, I was selected to go to the first World Junior Cycling Championships in 1973 in Germany.”
Asked how he and the team did, “We got some good licks. We didn’t do good at all,” Fook laughed.
He transitioned from a junior to a senior and went on to win the national title in 1980 in the sprint and kilometre.
As the 1980s rolled on, Fook’s first passion took a backseat to an even greater calling, fatherhood.
He welcomed three daughters – Natalia, Alana and Tamara.
With a growing family came new responsibilities and cycling quietly slipped into the background, culminating in a close to 30-year break from the sport.
Also in the middle row was Fook’s late brother-in law, Jeffrey “Babyface” La Fond. –
But true passions never truly fade and Fook found himself drawn back to the sport that once defined his teenage years and early adulthood.
Around age 50, Fook began cycling again and explained why.
“I get to continue riding with people I used to ride with before as well as the younger people. And now with the master’s competition, it’s encouraging to still take part.”
STILL RACKING UP THE GOLD
Today, Fook competes in the masters category of cycling, specifically in the 70+ division, where he continues to win events and titles.
The recently concluded National Track Cycling Championships for tinymites, juveniles and masters was held from May 8-11 at the National Cycling Centre in Balmain, Couva and Fook secured a haul of six golds and one bronze medal.
Fook placed first in the match sprint 70+, individual pursuit 70+ (8 laps), 500-metre time trial 70+, masters 60+, mixed team pursuit (tinymite, juveniles, masters) and points race 60+ (18 laps).
He even held his own in the open masters 40+ division, placing third.
Fook has also been the most outstanding master in the 50-59, 55-59 and 60-69 on multiple occasions.
Asked how long he will continue riding, Fook said, “I have about ten or twelve years to cycle still. At my club, Valkeryries, we have some young and good cyclists.
“I like to train with young cyclists. I do ride with my peers but I prefer riding with the younger ones.”
With Fook’s experience, he has tried to transfer his knowledge to the future generation.
“I always try to talk to those who will want to listen. It is important that older riders help the younger ones to keep the sport going.”
CYCLING DESERVES BETTER
With Fook cycling since the 1970s, he has observed an alarming trend in local cycling.
“We have good sprinters but that’s about it. We have to design our programmes to get more endurance riders.
“We have one endurance rider that has done it on an international stage (Teniel Campbell). They (TT Cycling Federation) are not doing anything to improve cycling in Trinidad.”
Fook said the “long-distance” competitions in TT do not encourage endurance riding, as it’s “only short road races and then you get a longish race once in a while.”
He is also not impressed by the way the sport is promoted.
“When you go to a cycling meet, there’s barely anyone. Back in the day for the Grand Prix, you had to ride in the heats to qualify to ride in the Grand Prix. You couldn’t just register and ride like you do today.
“The sponsorship and advertising, they don’t do enough of it. They believe in advertising on social media (Facebook). There’s not enough advertisement on television and in the newspapers. Long time it used to have a mic passing and those are the kinds of things that will stick in your head.”
Fook drew reference to the general election campaign, which took place in April and said the TTCF needed to take note.
It was not only the TTCF that Fook had an issue with, but also drivers on the nation’s roads.
“The driving public is horrible to cyclists on the road. They don’t give you a chance. They rough you up and pull in front of you without regard.”
Fook hopes the government will invest in the development of cycling in TT.
He called for more bike lanes and greater public awareness around road safety, particularly when it comes to sharing the road with cyclists.
