Inspiring Island Women is brought to you by Pine Lighting<\/p>\n
She may be small in stature, but when she\u2019s on her bike Victoria native Sarah Van Dam is a force.<\/p>\n
Getting her start at the Tripleshot Cycling Club in B.C.\u2019s capital, she\u2019s now based in Europe racing alongside the best female cyclists in the world.<\/p>\n
With so much track behind her, Van Dam has come a long way.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first started cycling I was like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m not sure I want to compete,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd then once I got into it, it was like, \u2018Woah!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Van Dam was only 11 when she caught the cycling bug.<\/p>\n
WATCH BELOW:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was called Bike Jam and it was a middle school event and they introduced you to all the disciplines,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t know it at the time, but the school bike league was organized by the Tripleshot Cycling Club. It\u2019s a club that Van Dam would soon belong to.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kinda go, \u2018Phew, we didn\u2019t screw her up,\u2019 you know? And she\u2019s gone on to do a lot of things with that kind of an intro,\u201d says Tripleshot coach Lister Farrar.<\/p>\n
Despite Farrar\u2019s concerns, it appears Tripleshot set up Van Dam for success. Last month, the cyclist announced she had signed onto a three-year professional cycling contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike.<\/p>\n
\u201cIts a world tour cycling team and it\u2019s, I would say, one of the biggest teams there is,\u201d says Van Dam.<\/p>\n
With a 2024 Olympic appearance and a successful switch from track to road racing, Van Dam is pursuing an opportunity to earn a living by doing what she loves.<\/p>\n
But until recently, that hasn\u2019t been a possibility for women.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarly on I dreamed of being at the top, racing at the highest level, but at that time there wasn\u2019t a Tour de France women,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere we are now, you\u2019re seeing more quality between the men and the women, so yeah now it\u2019s possible to do this full time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Van Dam is one of only a very few number of cyclists from Vancouver Island to reach this level, and she\u2019s very careful to credit the support network that\u2019s been behind her every pedal of the way, including her old club, Tripleshot.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the reason I\u2019m here now, honestly,\u201d she says. \u201cI started at age 11 and the emphasis was on having fun and that is the key.\u201d<\/p>\n
Farrar remembers Van Dam\u2019s strong start to her cycling career as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was very determined early on,\u201d he says. \u201cSo we have a game we play called survivor where they ride slowly on grass and try to make other riders put their foot down, and Sarah won her very first one at age 11 against 15 year old boys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although Van Dam is only 23, she\u2019s already committed to passing on her legacy of success, spending hours with young cyclists.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember when I was young and just riding in the club seeing some Red Truck [Racing] riders come out and practice with the kids,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try and ride with younger kids and inspire them as much as possible, because it was so instrumental and inspiring to me that I want to give back to the younger generation as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Farrar says that sends an important message to young riders.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s even more important for girls in sport to have female role models that they can look to and go, \u2018She\u2019s just like us,\u2019 you know? We can do what she\u2019s doing,\u201d says Farrar.<\/p>\n
Van Dam is back in Europe where she\u2019ll be based for the season, which many of her coaches, clubmates, support team and fans will be watching.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spend a lot of time stopping the TV and looking for Sarah in the groups,\u201d says Farrar.<\/p>\n