Stephen Bate

Started: He took up the sport in 2013. (britishcycling.org.uk, 22 May 2016) Reason: He was introduced to the sport by British Para cyclist Karen Darke. "I rode a bit as a kid in New Zealand but was never any good, but I guess when I got diagnosed with this eye condition and lost my driver's licence, a bike became my way of life. In July 2013 I attended a talent ID day run by British Cycling. A couple of months later I joined them for a week as a guest on a training camp, which was the first time I'd ridden a tandem. That went pretty well, and the following January I joined the British Cycling Development Program full-time." (thehealthandentrepreneurmindset.com, 24 Jan 2021; huntbikewheels.com, 21 Jan 2019; britishcycling.org.uk, 22 May 2016) Awards: He was named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in the 2017 New Year's Honours list in recognition of his achievements in Para cycling. (paralympic.org, 31 Dec 2016) He and his guide Adam Duggleby received the 2016 Charles Arthur Rhodes Memorial Award from the Yorkshire Cycling Federation in England. (britishcycling.org.uk, 15 Dec 2016) Additional Info: CLIMBING CHALLENGE In June 2013 he performed a solo climb of El Capitan [a vertical rock formation] in Yosemite National Park in California, United States of America. "I was a climber before I became a cyclist. However, the skill set I had for climbing in the UK is a bit different to climbing El Cap solo. For starters there aren't thousand metre vertical walls in the UK. It took me a year to prepare, and I still found it extremely challenging. In saying that it's still probably my greatest personal achievement. I spent six days alone climbing that vertical rock face, navigating my way up crack lines and features on the wall. After six days alone, I climbed over the top a different person. I'd gone far beyond what I thought I was ever capable of as a human being. At the start looking up it was so overwhelming, but by going slowly, taking my time and being 100% present in the climb, it went really well. I don't think it would have been possible to become a Paralympic champion without having gone through this experience first." (thehealthandentrepreneurmindset.com, 24 Jan 2021; britishcycling.org.uk, 22 May 2016)