Jess Varnish has always wanted to achieve. “When I was young and I started cycling, it was already about winning.” This competitive edge didn’t come from sibling rivalry, although her passion for cycling was inspired by a family member. With her father James a former cycle speedway world champion, she caught the bug early. “I could ride a bike from the age of two-and-a-half without stabilisers. He’d take me along to races – I’d always want to get involved.” She did just that, her first taste of competition being the kids’ races run at her father’s events.
Varnish’s dedication to cycling grew from there, in spite of repeated tumbles as her equipment evolved. “I’d always fall off with my clip pedals in. I’d always fall over, put my hand down. Every time I was convinced I’d broken my wrist, but I never did”. Hours spent waiting in Accident and Emergency departments, her father by her side, did nothing to dampen the young Varnish’s drive.
Neither did her first velodrome experience, which Varnish remembers fondly – even though it was daunting. “I was the smallest girl on the track, but I loved every minute of it”. At the age of 14, she went from the smallest to one of the fastest, unofficially competing at the 2006 Junior World Championships. Varnish beat the standing-start record by one second, an achievement since joined by a clutch of World, European and Commonwealth medals. She is also the record holder of the team sprint event, set at the London 2012 Olympics with team-mate Victoria Pendleton.
To achieve the levels and speed required for such achievements, Varnish’s early track trepidation has long disappeared. “I know exactly what I need to do. Everything happens like a computer.” Preparation for her races is an intense process. “I’m always up for a challenge, always want to find out how far I can push my body,” she says. “How much I can lift, how fast I can ride… I’ve always wanted to push boundaries.”
All this drive, dedication and a desire to compete comes with its sacrifices, of course. But for Varnish it’s worth it; there’s never a question of whether she feels in the mood for training, or for pushing herself just a little bit further. “I’ve never said ‘I feel motivated’ or ‘I don’t feel motivated’, it’s just there. It’s in-built.” Yet what Varnish does experience are the extremes of her sport, the demands of competing, and the difference between races and training runs.
“The velodrome, especially when you’re there in a competition, can be crazy. I can remember at the [2012] Olympics, people were leaning over, their heads were nearly touching my head.” At these moments Varnish channels herself, tuning out unnecessary distractions. In contrast, training can be a world away from noise of a live race. “When you’re there training, it can be a very lonely place. It’s cold, dark, empty… eerie.” Such extremes are to be expected, but what Varnish feels everything comes down to is speed and focus. “On a velodrome, you can get up to about 80kph, which is incredibly fast – especially when the wheels are only 15mm thick”.
Varnish admits some might be worried about travelling at such speeds. “It is scary, because everything’s happening so quickly”. But fear doesn’t come into it. “I love travelling fast on a bike. It doesn’t scare me at all and I always want to have that feeling. I won’t ever be scared”. Fear isn’t helpful in this sport, so Varnish holds focus and concentration as key. “You need to be in the moment, in the zone, and not worry about what’s going on around you. You just need to be focused.”
Focus and speed are the ultimate aims, but speed needs power – something especially important for Varnish and others who take part in sprint competitions. “It’s really short bursts of high power. For my event, it’s all about being powerful and strong, and just getting up to speed as quickly as you can”. To ensure she always has the necessary power when needed, she focuses on endurance training, cardiovascular training and interval training.
Varnish’s dedication for her sport and her desire to push boundaries shines through when she speaks. Of cycling, she simply says, “It does everything”.
Written by WIRED, in partnership with Qualcomm Snapdragon Gigabit LTE.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
