He's the first ever Indian cyclist to not only participate but find immense success internationally. Given he’s participating in a sport that isn’t given much attention in the country despite its worldwide recognition, and still managed to reach the highest levels an Indian has reached so far, we spoke to Naveen John about the immense trials he’s had to face on his way to International cycling stardom, his journey to fitness and sport, and how things need to change for sport in India.
In a country where cycling is considered a mode of transport, but not really a full-time sport, Naveen was invited by Australia’s top domestic cycling squad – and is now the first ever Indian to reach any level of international professional cycling.
He spoke to Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview about his road so far:
How did you get started in the sport? Is it something you’ve always wanted to do?
Actually, no. I was the quintessential overweight kid. I ate junk food, lived an extremely sedentary lifestyle, all of it. I was really not the healthiest of people, and I totally had extra weight on me. Lots of sportspeople get into cycling, or their chosen sport, very young. It was the complete opposite for me. Not through my childhood or teens was I active, I could barely walk a kilometre without feeling tired.
It wasn’t until I went to college that I began cycling in earnest. I got my bachelor’s in electrical engineering at Purdue University, where I started cycling purely as a pastime. From that, it grew into something bigger. From a small physical activity that I dedicated some time to, cycling became something I enjoyed doing more and more.
And from there, it became something a group of us did regularly. We’d get into a station wagon, bikes on the roof, and just drive to the next state for a race.From that, it grew into something bigger.
We’d even carry our homework and assignments with us... although I’m not really sure how much of that got done considering we were biking all morning and just plain exhausted at the end. And that’s how it went from a pastime to something I loved doing, although I didn’t know or expect at the time that it would become my full-time passion. I was still an engineer.
How did you make the move from your full-time career to being a sportsperson, and one of your caliber?
It’s not really been a ‘move’, exactly. I practiced my sport and took up jobs to sustain my sporting pursuits. The fact of the matter is, it isn’t possible to support oneself purely as a sportsperson in India.
The truth about sport is that it is a career that’s time-bound.
Getting an education or having work experience is one of the most important things to ‘bank’, before considering a ‘career’ in sport, in India, or anywhere really. For every Nehwal or Nadal that’s out there, there are a thousand athletes who won’t make it big, and a fall back is essential if things don’t work out, or if you reach your physical ceiling, and you just don’t cut it!
Cycling is a demanding endurance sport if you want to compete on the international stage. I’ve come a long way from just riding for fun, but it’s a good thing I still love riding my bike! I’ve accumulated over 200,000 kms of structured training in 8 years; raced competitively in the US, SE Asia, and Belgium – the ‘Eden Gardens’ of competitive bicycle racing; checking-off regional, State and National level championships; before getting in touch with professional teams around the world.
Out of the 30 teams I reached out to, a whole bunch of rejection, I was in talks with 3 teams, and finally signed with 1 – the best in Australia, a program with a really strong rider development focus, and a strong sponsor activation focus.
How much of a struggle has it been in your sport, especially considering how little recognition it has in India?
Oh, it’s been a definite issue, and it all looks very rosy from the outside; it looks as though we have plenty of sponsors, and all our incomes are guaranteed, and we are able to manage easily. That’s not the case.
I’ve helped manage at one of India’s best bike shops and coached athletes on the side, for supplemental income. We’ve had great technical sponsors and amazing supporters through the years. The team that I ride for – the Specialized KYNKYNY team -- is backed by a charitable trust, whose goal it is to move the sport of cycling forward in India. It’s about supporting the most talented athletes that are putting in the hard yards.
There are fundraisers, and every year, a couple private investors, who believe in the vision of the trust, back the teams activities. It’s amazing how much we’ve accomplished with so little!
Our team and its mission is to disrupt the status quo in our sport, and in 3 years, we’ve done that successfully. We could keep winning National Championships for years to come, but we need to set higher goals to move the sport forward, so it can get the recognition it deserves.
Speaking of equipment, how much importance do you lay on equipment, and how much success do you think is related to it?
Equipment is important in helping an athlete to perform to the best of his ability, but too many young athletes today think if they have the latest bike, or the latest whatever they need in their sport, that alone will guarantee them success, and that if they do not have it, they cannot succeed.
That isn’t true. I won my National title on a wheel that was crashed, then repaired, and had a 1cm wobble in it. I still went a ‘kph’ faster (45.5kph for 40km) that anyone in India previously had to win the National title.
Although an athlete should have access to good equipment, the lack of the best should not be an excuse to not succeed. A coach, a well laid out year-long training plan, and the discipline to consistently follow it, is what’s lacking.
Where do you find the inspiration to keep going?
In the lead-up to leaving for Australia to ride and race on my contract for 2016 season – I am now a full-time athlete. I’m trying to give back to the sport while competing too.
I coach elite-level National athletes who are looking to win national titles in various cycling disciplines. My goals motivate me, so do my competitors, and so do my friends and family.
When you’re establishing a pioneering pathway, you have be willing to take risks; you really have to put yourself out there. You also have to be able to put ego aside, and ask for help.
As an example, a young rider on my team managed to crowdfund an entire trip to race abroad, on his own. A friend and competitor of mine, and another one of India’s best cyclists, packed up his bags and moved to China to live and race there. There are a lot of things to draw inspiration from.
What do you think it will take for the sport to be properly understood and recognised?
Internationally, cycling’s poster event is the Tour de France. Riding the Tour is not something that happens overnight, but over the career of a dedicated and talented athlete’s life, and if they’re able to put it all together and if they have the right support.
The process is simple though: you get there though athletic progression. However, while there are established pathways by which a young talented rider in the US or the UK can aspire to get there, there isn’t one that applies to an Indian cyclist, yet.
It all starts with the first step, and we’re at that moment in history now. This project is about demonstrating that there is pathway from amateur to Pro in India, if you do the right things, and don’t stop chasing the goal.
But you need that one nut case who will break that cycle, break out of it. There was a time badminton wasn’t regarded in the country, either. Then Prakash Padukone came along [Padukone was India’s first ever winner of the All-England Badminton championships in 1980, and brought the sport to the country’s notice], then Pullela Gopichand did it [Gopichand won 21 years later, in 2001] and brought it back, and now look at badminton in India.
Not only is it well-regarded, we’ve made so much headway – some of our country's biggest stars are badminton players. Look at Saina, look at Kashyap.
It needs that one ‘nutcase’, that one crazy person who will buck the trend and do something people consider ‘crazy’, or a ‘bad idea’ by any means. It needs that person to break out of the cycle and decide that they want to do something different, and things will begin to change. They’ll take time, but they will change.
I’m doing it now, and I’m hoping it will see fruition.
What goals do you have on the horizon?
My immediate goals are completing my fundraising for travel and living in Australia this coming season. A huge challenge there is sharing the vision for our sport with potential backers, communicating the impact the support can have, and showcasing the opportunity to be a pioneer by association with a project like this.
My medium term goals are to become the first Indian to earn a spot on the start line at the World Championships in cycling -- something that's never happened before -- though that will be incredibly challenging since the qualification requires being highly placed on the nations ranking, and India is far down the line.
Personally, l want to keep progressing in my sport as far as I can, step by step. And when I hang up the bike, I hope to give back to the sport more than it's given me."
Meanwhile, I hope this inspires more and more people to be a part of the sport. Sometimes it just needs that one guy to break out of the shell, and I hope to be that guy.
