Former Bedford School pupil, Ethan Vernan, who left school in 2018, is set to represent Team GB in the track cycling Team Pursuit event at the Tokyo Olympics in August.
A life-long dream has come true for former Bedford School pupil, Ethan Vernon, who has just found out that he will represent Team GB in the track cycling Team Pursuit at the Tokyo Olympics in August.
Ethan, who competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games while he was still at school, will form part of the star-studded GB cycling team, demonstrating that all his hours of hard work and dedication really paid off.
Ethan’s cycling career started on the BMX track at the tender age of just four. A sport he adored and which he would continue to the age of 15 with a title of British and National Champion, and European number two under his belt before switching to road and track racing. From here he went from strength to strength and when he smashed 2.5 seconds off the world record in the Commonwealth Games aged just 17 years old, he knew then that his dream of competing in the Olympic Games was well within his grasp.
Ethan and his team will be aiming to win their fourth consecutive team pursuit Olympic gold medal. He will form part of the men’s endurance squad and will be joined by Ed Clancy, Ethan Hayter, Matt Walls, and Ollie Wood. Speaking about his upcoming Olympic debut, Ethan said, “I was absolutely buzzing when I found out about Olympic selection. It’s only now that it’s starting to sink in – upon receiving emails regarding travel arrangements to Tokyo. We are going out to win, as I’m sure every nation is, but we are reigning champions from the previous three Olympics in this discipline, and we are looking to make it four in a row.”
Ethan’s mental fortitude during his school years was admirable. With a full academic timetable and a gruelling training schedule on the track, Ethan’s ability to juggle both successfully was testament to his character and unwavering focus on fulfilling his dream to become an Olympian.
Ethan’s former school Housemaster, Laurence Holt, remembers Ethan’s dedication well. He told us, “I am delighted to hear that Ethan has made the team. He is such a lovely young man and absolutely driven to do his best. In his Upper Sixth year, he once arrived a few minutes late to my lesson (period one) on a Saturday morning, but the mood soon lightened when he explained he had cycled to school via Cambridge, which was a 90-mile ride. He had left home at 5:00 am to fit it in!”
The track cycling Team Pursuit will be held between 2 and 8 August.