Michael Ferreira aims for gold

Michael Ferreira was only 10 years old when he first began cycling, and now at 19, he has used his talent in cycling to achieve far more than the average South African teenager.

Ferreira’s cycling resume includes a large number of victories in triathlons and duathlons as well as provincial and national championships.

His most prestigious achievement to date is second place overall in the Cross Triathlon Junior Elite World Championship held in Italy last year.

Recently, Ferreira placed first in the 25km Varsity College Trailblazer held at Modderfontein Bike Park. In its second year, the race provides an exhilarating experience for all first-time racers while also proving to be a challenging course for experienced ones.

Ferreira attributes his success to a rigorous training regime and the support given to him by his parents. “My family has supported me throughout my sporting career. When you hear of a sportsman all you hear is [details] about him and all he does.

“You never get to hear about the support structure – and that’s my family, as they are the reason why I am here today. There is a lot of work that they do that keeps me going and all of this is because of them.”

He also spoke about how he focuses on inspiring others, “I have been working with the Diepsloot Academy to improve the boys’ riding skills.

“What will generally happen is we will organise a day where all the riders are free, we meet at the park where I proceed to teach them fundamental skills about riding and nutrition. After an hour or two of training, we relax and just enjoy the great facilities that [PWC Bike Park] has to offer.

“I don’t do this for fame and fortune, I do it to further the cycling careers of underprivileged riders.”

Ferreira is now a full-time BCom student at the Varsity College Sandton and has plans to compete in the Cross Triathlon World Championship in Australia in November and hopes to dominate the Xterra Lite Scene by going gold in all three races in South Africa.