Olympics: Hayden Roulston lone rider
Sunday Star Times
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Two years ago Hayden Roulston was a dead man riding.
The Ashburton cyclist had been knocked for six by a heart scare that medical experts said would end his potentially brilliant career.
Following on from an assault case after a late-night incident at a Timaru bar which cost him a contract with Lance Armstrong's Discovery team, to many he appeared washed up.
Roulston had just been diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia a condition which left him short of breath, pushed his heart rate to dangerous levels, and put him at risk of dying every time he got on his bike.
Cue a "chance meeting" with a woman who practised reiki, a Japanese hands-on healing process for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.
Reiki is based on the idea that an unseen life force energy flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If your life force energy is low, then you are more likely to get sick or feel stress. If it is high, you are more capable of being happy and healthy.
Roulston embraced the alternative remedy, along with eating healthier and staying out of bars, and was back on the bike less than two months later, winning the national men's road title and Tour of Southland.
He finished a superb fourth in the individual pursuit at the world championships in Manchester last March, rocketing into gold medal calculations for Beijing.
Along with his partner Angelique and family, his reiki healer will be in Beijing: "Reiki is the the be-all and end-all for me ... it's pretty amazing stuff."
Speaking to the Sunday Star-Times from the New Zealand Olympic cycling team's base in Bordeaux, France, Roulston exudes confidence, still flying from a win in a four-day road race in Belgium which proved he's in "the best nick I've ever been in".
"The individual pursuit is my number one goal. It would be the icing on the cake. There's been a lot of ups and downs ... it would mean the world to me to be on the top of the dais. I'll do everything I can to get there. I'm in great shape and in a great space so I can't see why I can't do it."
His build-up on the road has gone perfectly. "It's totally different to what I'm doing at the Olympics but to back it up four days in a row [on the road] and be strong even on the last day shows I've hit some pretty good form and I'm in good condition. I couldn't ask for a better way to lead into this final phase."
There have been no signs of heart problems.
"I've had no trouble at all. It doesn't even enter my mind now. It feels like so long ago that it's a waste of energy even thinking about it."
New Zealand coach Tim Carswell agrees that Roulston is firing on all cylinders.
"It's just matter of doing the fine-tuning on the track. He's shown from when he decided he was going to target the individual pursuit at the start of this season that he's in the class of the rest of the riders who he's up against.
"Whenever he's set target times during the season he's done it every time. Everything's going really well ... it's a matter of getting things right over the next few weeks and we should be able to deliver him in pretty good form to compete strongly for a medal."
Roulston must slice time from the 4min 18.334sec he set over 4000m in Manchester. The world record, set by Great Britain's Chris Boardman in 1996, stands at 4min 11.114sec. Great Britain's Bradley Wiggins won the Olympic individual pursuit gold medal in Athens in 4min 16.304sec four years ago, and won the world title in March in 4:18.519.
Roulston is confident he can make the step up in Beijing.
"I'm going to do everything I can to set myself up for gold in the individual pursuit.
"The beauty about the individual pursuit is that I control absolutely everything. The build-up, the warm-up, the race it all comes down to you. It's purely an individual thing and that's what I like about it. I'm not worried about what the other riders are doing, I'm just concentrating on what I need to do.
"With this batch of racing behind us the whole team is going to come up a level. You can't replicate this type of racing in your training. It's so much harder than anything you'd ever done. That's one big thing that will be on our side going into Beijing.
"All the boys were fizzing meeting up in Bordeaux with the rest of the team. It's a great vibe and everyone's in a really good space."
Don't expect Roulston to ride off with the Mid-Canterbury Social Wheelers if he does strike gold, with professional teams likely to offer lucrative contracts.
"I won't be finished after this year. Definitely it's a pretty important time in my life; mentally I'm more mature and can handle a lot more. Certain things don't get to me like they used to that's why I'm starting to go good now."
Roulston rides the individual pursuit on August 16, followed by the teams' pursuit and madison with his good mate Greg Henderson. They are dark horses for gold.
"If a bit of luck goes our way we can definitely get to be on top of the dais that's for sure."
Carswell said Roulston and Henderson (in the points race) were the spearheads, but has high hopes for Alison Shanks in the women's individual pursuit, Cath Cheatley in the women's points race, and feels the men's pursuit team can crack the magic four-minute barrier and get among the medals.
"It's probably one of best groups that we've had to lead in to an event like this. We've got depth, everybody is upbeat and confident, and we don't have any issues in the team which is always a bonus."
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I was diagnosed with ARVD 8 months ago after a sudden cardiac death event. I am an avid athlete; marathons and triathlons. I have an ICD and take medication- a Beta-Blocker, which slows me down and limits my ability. I would like to know if Hayden takes any medications along with his Reiki, or anything else he does regarding his treatment. I was amazed at his performance and it gives me more hope for my future.
Yet another case of the magic that Reiki can do!!! Reiki has changed and helped many people's lives. Many wonderful things can happen w/Reiki in your life. A health diet is also a plus... I wonder if he had Reiki energy transferred into the food and water he consumed. I know it is a popular thing.
I feel that you did wonderful on the cycling. Good job keep up the work.
I feel that you did wonderful on the cycling. Good job keep up the work.
even if the Reiki dosnt relly work as long as it get his head in the right space of mind i dont think hes is wasting his money at all
Whatever works for him! He's won two medals at these Olympics, and if he reckons that Reiki helps, then good for him.
I think they key to his good health was more to do with healthy eating and less alcohol rather than a Japanese superstition. A shame he wasted his money on the Reiki nonsense.
Reiki does work. Break your mind out of the mold that only Western Medicine holds all the truth of healing.