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Paracyclist Jaye Milley asks ‘Are You Ready’ in new PanAm video

 

The Toronto 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games release a new teaser video to help build excitement ahead of next year’s competition. The ad features three Canadian athletes, including cyclist Jaye Milley.

Milley races in both road and track discipline, and has enjoyed an extremely successful 2014 so far. The Calgarian racked up two bronze medals at Paracycling Track World Championships in April – one in the pursuit and one in the 1000m. He’s won bronze medals at both World Cup road races this summer and he’s set to defend two bronze medals – road race and time trial – at Para Road Worlds in Bromont, Que., later this month.

As a quadruple amputee, the 23 year-old Milley competes in the category for athletes with the most affected level of ability on a single bike. To reach the elite level of competition, Milley trains six days a week, between two and six hours every day.

“It was really an honour to be selected for this new video,” said Milley, who is already in Bromont, peeping for competition. “I was especially fortunate to be chosen as the athlete who would be filmed in Toronto, and as soon as I got off the plane, I met with the producer of the video. He told me what his vision was, and I knew immediately that he got just how hard we work.”

Milley is shown riding around various parts of the city and in one segment, completes single leg press exercises in a gym.

“When we were shooting the video, we didn’t have enough weights for my usual workout,” explained Milley.

Though he weighs only 110 lbs, a typical workout involves repeated sets on the single leg press pushing weights of 485lbs during his preparation for the track cycling season. In the road cycling time trial, those same muscles have to propel Milley at over 40km/h if there’s any hope for a podium finish.

“We need to change the perspective of para sport for Canadians,” said Milley. “This video is part of that process. I challenge people to watch any para sport, and they will see how hard we work, how amazing it is.”

Milley started riding at 14 years old, after six years of soccer ended with a broken kneecap and doctor’s orders to give up the sport.

“My mom helped me find a cycling coach, and I ended up first meeting with Tanya Dubnicoff,” said Milley. “I had started out on a trike, which was heavy and made for getting groceries, but worked with Stephen Burke, and he said he’d have me on a two wheeled bike within six months.”

Burke was right.

By his final year of high school, Milley had made the national team, and finished inside the top five at Paracycling World Championships.

“I loved cycling instantly because of the freedom,” said Milley. “That feeling of wind blowing through your hair, and of the speed… it’s amazing.”

Those interested in answering Milley’s challenge to watch Para sport can get a look inside the new Milton Velodrome. Milley will be there as part of Track cycling nationals in October.