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Top photo of Sara wearing a Janet Bike Girl T-Shirt, hand stenciled organic cotton From Rookie to Elite in Two Years By BRAD PETERS, REVIEW SPORTS EDITOR It doesn't take long to notice just how completely cycling has taken over Sara Byers' life. While sitting outside of the Willoughby Museum, which the 32-year-old curates, on a sunny, windy Thursday afternoon, a pleasant gust of wind comes rolling off the Niagara River and gently moves tree limbs, leaves ... and bicycle tires and wheels suspended in the tree. 　 "I'm very lucky to work with people who are so accomodating," she says with an easy laugh and a glance upward at the dozen or so bicycle tires dangling and swaying above our heads. There is nothing lucky, however, about the incredible success that Byers has had in the sport of cycling in an astonishingly short period of time. Her impressive list of bicycle racing accomplishments comes down to two things: Dedication and hard work. Topping that last of accomplishments was her recent signing to an elite-level, provincial cycling team, P-K Express/HNZ Strategy.com.The team is run by the husband and wife team of Chris Komar and Susan Palmer- Komar, a three-time national champion, two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games silver medallist. Racing on a team of that quality, in and of itself, is indicative of a superior athlete. The fact that Byers was asked to join the team after cycling for a mere 14 months is almost unbelievable. "The members of the team were women that I was racing against, so the coach is there as well watching all the races," she said. "What he said was that I was on his radar. I came to their attention by just winning all the races that I was in." But just two years ago, Byers had no idea that she would be eligible to participate in a national cycling competition. She says that she was approaching 30, not happy with the direction her life was taking and she decided to make some changes. Change No. 1 was to lose some weight ... and when Byers decides on a course of action, she's all in. "At the very beginning, I was just doing spin classes. That's where I lost a lot of weight, through my training at Premier Fitness and with a diet program that they had. I entered this 'Biggest Loser' contest they had on. That's when I discovered how competitive I am," she says with that same easy laugh that punctuates much of her conversation. "I lost 70 pounds in six or seven months and won the contest." As the pounds dropped and her spin class ability soared, she came to the attention of competitive cyclists who used the classes for winter training and conditioning. "Some of the Thorold Trailhogs, who are now part of the Short Hills Cycling Club, said to me, 'You're pretty good at this, you should get out on a real bike and see what it's like.'" Initialling dismissing the winter mountain bike riders as 'crazy,' she eventually relented and was instantly hooked. And not just on trail riding, her love for road riding and racing soon followed. "For my first road event, some girls from the gym decided to do the Ride to Conquer Cancer," Byers said. "I bought my first road bike and started training. It's a 200-kilometre weekend ride. For a first big ride, that's huge. "But I guess I overtrained for that, because I got out ahead of the club. Afterwards, they asked me how I got so good, so fast. But I was just so excited to get out on the road. It was terrifying and exciting all at the same time." That excitement and healthy fear of the speed of the sport was soon channelled into determination to win ... and win she has. In 11 races this season -- eight in mountain biking and three on the road -- Byers has won eight times. In the other three races, she's had two thirds and one fourth. Byers' most recent victory came Sunday at the 12th annual Lake to Lake Classic which runs from Port Colborne to Port Dalhousie. She won the women's 30-39 category, finished second overall for women and 38th overall out of 800 participants. "The Lake to Lake win was probably the biggest result of my career because it was the race I started with in 2009. I finished 197th last year and I was a half hour slower. It feels like all the hard work over the past year has paid off." But even with the big Lake to Lake win, it hasn't satisfied Byers' desire to compete at the highest level possible. For that, she has her sights set on the National Masters Road Cycling Championships being held near Edmonton, Alta., July 2 to 4. She will be racing in both the time trial and road race events. That is if she can raise enough money to help offset the expense of competing. In order to help cover the more than $1,500 cost of traveling to the event (transporting bikes will cost nearly $200 alone), Byers is looking for the support of the community. Any sponsors would be greatly appreciated. If you are able to help Byers reach her fundraising goal, contact her at 905-641-0966 or by email at plainjane380@hotmail.com. 　 Masters Gold for Byers: Local rider wins big at national meet By BRAD PETERS, REVIEW SPORTS EDITOR For cyclist Sara Byers it was a golden weekend in the prairies to remember. After a last-minute scramble to secure the funding to attend the National Masters Road Cycling Championships held near Edmonton, Alta., Byers made the absolute most of the experience, finishing third in her first event (a 21-kilometre time trial) and winning gold in a 72-kilometre road race. Not only did Byers win her age category (30 to 39), she finished first overall. "I did decently in the time trial, finishing third (in her first official time trial). The competition was pretty high, the girls were really strong," she said. "They made me work. I really appreciated that." If she enjoyed the hard work and experience of finishing third, then her golden performance Saturday in which she beat the two women who beat her Friday must have been doubly sweet. "I was a little bit uneasy heading into the road race," she said. "Having worked so hard in the time trial, I wasn't sure of what I would have left in my legs. "I really wasn't sure of how I would make out until I was about halfway through the race. At that point, you know how much you have left, how hard you can go." The fact that Byers was in the middle of a Masters road race itself is an incredible accomplishment, considering she only began competitive cycling less than two years ago. After a dramatic weight loss and dedication to her personal health, she was encouraged to start cycling. Before long she was leaving those who encouraged her to ride in the dust. Mountain bike rallies and road race victories soon followed, as did the opportunity to represent Ontario at the National Masters meet. At the halfway point of the longest road race Byers had entered, she gauged her energy level, place in the field and knew that she has in a good position. As the riders completed the last few kilometres, they began working together. One rider would take the lead, enduring the hard riding through the wind for a few seconds before circling to the back of the pack. The group approach goes out the window during the last stretch, when it becomes every rider for themselves down the sprint -- and the lead three riders were the same as in the time trial. "The difference between the time trial and the road race is the motivation and ambition. They weren't quite as patient ... where I knew I had to hang back a little. I had some energy for the return trip." Rocketing to the finish of the 72 kilometres, Byers was the winner by two bike lengths. The entire race was decided by a difference of fewer than three metres. "That's why I love it," she said. "It's so intense." The win elevated Byers competition from Masters to Elite 1,2. With Masters gold proudly added to her medal and trophy haul, Byers is eager to add more hardware. This weekend, she's off to the Peterborough area for another time trial and a mountain bike race. "The biggest thing I learned during the Masters was self-confidence. I can do a lot more, I want to do a lot more and achieve greater goals." In reflecting on her Masters success, Byers emphatically wanted to thank everyone who sponsored her, including Gale's Gas Bars and her family and friends.

By: Janet Bike Girl Copyright © All Rights Reserved

Taken: July 7, 2010
Uploaded: July 7, 2010

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