Download PDF: Issue 9 - New Zealand Fire Service

The full-time job is the pinnacle of a
brilliant cycling career spinning with
achievement and accolades, which
have included the Prime Minister’s
Coaching Scholarship (2004); cocoach
and programme designer for
Sarah Ulmer (2004); head track
coach for 2005 World Cup rounds in
Los Angeles and Sydney and 2005
World Championships and New
Zealand junior and senior track
cycling coach.
In Wellington to pick up the Fire
Service’s Sportsperson of the Year
Award in May Terry said he was
firmly focused now on the Beijing
2006 Olympics. He feels his team has
the potential to pick up at least two
gold medals, and it means facing the
“biggest challenge” of his life.
He is proud to be part of the
BikeNZ high performance team
and to create a world class track
cycling programme. Terry is the fi fth
person to be recruited by BikeNZ
this year and joins national road
cycling coach Jacques Landry in the
high performance team directed by
Michael Flynn.
The new job means Terry has to leave
his 23-year firefighting career. His
response to whether he will miss it or
not is passionate: “Hell yes. I spent
sleepless nights mulling this over.
Cover story
Christchurch fi refi ghter Terry Gyde has realised the ambition of
a lifetime. He is BikeNZ’s new national track cycling coach.
Cycling has
been the
passion of my
life. This is an
opportunity,
the pinnacle
of everything
I’ve ever valued
in sport.
I always said I would not leave the
Fire Service, and tried to work things
so I could work with BikeNZ parttime.
“In the end it would have meant I
had two full-time jobs and would be
paid for one. It was just going to be
too hard.”
Cycling won out. “Cycling has
been the passion of my life. This is
an opportunity, the pinnacle of
everything I’ve ever valued in sport.”
His immediate goals are to prepare
for the Commonwealth Games in
March and World Championships in
France.
The Fire Service Commission presented BikeNZ national track
cycling coach Terry Gyde with the Fire Service Sportsperson of the
Year Award in May. From left: National Commander/Chief Executive
Mike Hall, Terry Scott, Terry Gyde, Chair Dame Margaret Bazley,
Angela Foulkes, Dr Piers Reid, John Hercus.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine May/June 2005
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