Carswell aims for Games months after becoming mum

Media release – November 28, 2005

Carswell aiming for Commonwealth Games just months after becoming a mum

Just months after becoming a mum for the second time, Christchurch’s Fiona Carswell makes a return to track cycling at the Oceania championships in Wanganui on Thursday.

Carswell is aiming to beat her long-standing New Zealand 500 metre time trial record of 36.61sec in her first step toward qualifying for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

She will be lining up against world and current Olympic champion Anna Meares of Australia, who clocked 33.952 to win gold at Athens last August.

Carswell, 27, pulled out of international cycling after finishing fifth in the Commonwealth Games at Manchester.

She has since had two children Jack (2) and Jessica (4 months).

``Two weeks after Jess was born I was back on the bike. My husband Tim (former Olympic cyclist) and I decided I would give the Games in Melbourne a crack when I was seven month pregnant this year,’’ Carswell said today.

``My sole focus initially is to smash by ridiculously slow NZ 500m time trial record. That’s my main drive.

``I just want to be satisfied with my ride in the Oceania champs in Wanganui on Thursday. We’ll see what happens after that.’’

A good ride at Wanganui could qualify her for a world cup event in Los Angeles on January 19-22 or she could compete in the national championships in Wanganui on January 9.

Carswell has been putting in hours a day on the track, on the road, on rollers and in the gym for the last three months.

She has had her hands full looking after two children and training hard.

Carswell is a 17-times NZ champion, has held six national records and was 10th in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

ENDS

© Scoop Media