Mark Colbourne facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Colbourne |
| Born | 9 November 1969 Tredegar, Wales |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Track |
Mark Lee Colbourne (born November 9, 1969) is a former Welsh Paralympic cyclist. He competed for both Wales and Great Britain. He is also a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Contents
Early Life
Mark Colbourne was born in Tredegar, Wales, on November 9, 1969. Before becoming a cyclist, he was a talented volleyball player. He played for Wales at an international level from 1990 to 1993.
In 2009, Mark had a serious accident. He broke his back after falling about 35 feet (11 meters) during an emergency paragliding landing. This accident changed his life path.
Cycling Career
After his accident, Mark started cycling through a program called Disability Sport Wales. He competes in the C1 classification. This means he rides an upright bike and has a more severe disability. He trained with coach Neil Smith at the Newport Velodrome. Mark first raced in a track event in May 2010 at the Wales Grand Prix.
World Cup and World Championships
In 2011, Mark won his first medals at the UCI Para-Cycling World Cup. He earned a bronze medal in the C1 time trial in Segovia, Spain. This was his first time competing at the World Cup level. Later, in Canada, he won a silver medal in the same event.
His first World Championship medal was a silver. He won it at the 2011 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Denmark. In 2012, Mark became a world champion. He won the gold medal in the C1 3 km individual pursuit. This was at the 2012 UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles. At the same championships, he also won a silver medal in the C1 1 km time trial.
2012 London Paralympics
Mark was chosen to be part of the Great Britain cycling team for the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. On August 30, 2012, he won a silver medal. This was Great Britain's first medal of the 2012 Paralympics. He earned it in the C1-3 1 km time trial event.
The next day, August 31, 2012, Mark won a gold medal. He competed in the C1 3 km individual pursuit. He even broke the world record twice, once in the qualifying round and again in the final!
After his amazing performance, Mark Colbourne was honored. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2013. This was for his great contributions to cycling. In August 2013, Mark announced that he was retiring from para-cycling.
See also
- 2012 Olympics gold post boxes in the United Kingdom
