Jenna Nestman of Roberts Creek took home a silver medal in the 2018 Canadian Track Championships held Sept. 27 to 29 in Milton, Ont.
Nestman and her racing partner, Lizanne Wilmot, placed second in the women’s team sprint race with a time of 35.43 seconds.
It’s a significant achievement for Nestman, 30, who joined the sport just two years ago. About seven months ago she broke her right leg, dislocated her ankle and suffered ligament and tendon damage in a horseback riding accident.
“It hasn’t really sunk in. It’s always been the goal. I wanted it to happen this weekend but having broken my leg at the end of January, I was kind of like, if it happens it happens,” Nestman said. “I feel so grateful for all the support I’ve had throughout the last six months, especially when I was down and out.”
Nestman came in fifth in the 500-metre time trial with a time of 36.62 seconds and came in sixth in the 200-metre sprint, earning a qualification time of 12 seconds. Over the course of the championship, she earned three personal best times.
Those times put her at the national development standard, a requirement for earning a spot on Canada’s track cycling team, “which is huge,” Nestman said.
Her reputation is building quickly despite being so new to the sport. She said members of Team Canada have reached out to offer their support as she makes the push to make the national team. “It’s super inspiring to hear that from them,” she said.
During the championships, Franck Durivaux, sprint coach for Team Canada, approached her following her second place finish. “The national coach had no idea who I was. When he was giving the medal on the podium he was like, ‘Nice to met you, yeah, wow, alright’,” said Nestman. She said now that she is on Team Canada’s radar she will be discussing next steps, including possible training camps and specific races that could earn her points to help her qualify for international events, such as the UCI Track Cycling World Cup.
With the championships behind her, Nestman will be taking the next few weeks to plan out her race season. “I’m eager to get back into it already so that’s a good feeling. I’m not as tired as I thought I would be,” she said.
