Olympian - Phil Hindes

Phil reminisced on his journey into a successful cycling career, his inspiration from prominent figures within cycling, and becoming a multiple time Olympic gold medallist.

So, Phil, where did your journey with cycling begin?

Initially I was interested in rowing and I would watch the Tour De France on TV. When I was younger, I won the German championships in rowing which sparked my interest in competitive sports. As I got older, I became more interested in cycling but in my first year of cycling competitively I never finished a race as I never had the pace and got dropped from the team. With extra guidance from my coach and training I started to finish races, and I managed to get into the top 10’s and top 3’s.

That’s when I entered the under 16 German championships in the velodrome and I finished in the top six. This opened doors for me into the German national team and meant I got into a sporting boarding school, so that’s when I moved away from my family to pursue a career in cycling.

I went on to join the junior World Championships in cycling, where I set a new world record. I was the first to set an opening lap under 18 seconds as a junior at the time and that’s when I became more and more passionate about cycling.

As a result of this, I was put in contact with the German coach of the GB cycling team. He asked me what my goal is to which I responded, “Get good and win races”, and he responded, “No, your goal should be Olympic golds”- I laughed because I never thought I would go to the Olympics.

Tell us about your journey to become an Olympian?

When I was 18, I moved to the UK and had the amazing opportunity to join the British Cycling team, to ride alongside Chris Hoy who is a big hero of mine. This was a dream come true for me.

It took the best part of a year to be able to confidently speak a new language and adjust to a new life before I started bringing in some good numbers in cycling. When I turned 19 my goal was Rio 2016. We also entered into the World Championships, and I set a really good time. This meant I was chosen for the 2012 Olympics in London, competing in Olympic Games four years earlier than originally planned!

Four months on from the World Championships it was the London 2012 Olympics. I remember shaking at the start, I was really nervous but once the first race was out the way, it just felt like a normal race. And we won it! Gold at the 2012 Olympics.

Have you overcome any obstacles, injuries and/or setbacks?

You lose more than you win in cycling. You’re always injured, you have to take time off to recover, go through rehab and flight the battle of not trying to break. It’s important to learn how to lose and mentally stay focused on the big races.

How did you prepare mentally for the competition?

I had a lot of guidance from Chris Hoy, he helped me with putting plans together to take to the coaches and know how to interact with the wider team. It’s the same here at Sunbelt Rentals, knowing how to interact and engage with the experts we have in the team and utilising the support network we have available.

What inspired you to reach Olympic gold medal standard in cycling?

I found cycling really exciting. I was motivated to beat my cycling times. During each training session I wanted to go faster and in each gym session I wanted to lift more. I was more competitive with myself than I was against the people I was racing against.

Following on from his memorable career as an Olympic gold medallist, and a valued member of Team GB, Phil is now member of the Sunbelt Rentals team. He works as a Business Development Manager.

How much do you believe mentality impacts progression in both sport and career?

I try to take things as they come. Coming up with a plan, pre-empting issues and figuring out how you would tackle these is useful for handling stress. It’s important to know that you don’t have to do everything yourself, you have a team around you even during the times when you may not realise it.

What motivates you post-Olympics?

I want to grow my career, work my way up and reach new heights. I’m approaching this by trying my best and working hard every day. Outside of work I’m looking forward to starting a family with my partner. It’s a very exciting time ahead to see what the future has in store.

For me, a life outside of cycling is all new. I’ve dove into the deep end with a completely new challenge from what I’ve spent my whole life doing. I’m taking it as it comes and getting ready for the next challenge that comes my way.

Are there any lessons that you learnt from your time in competitive cycling that you have carried into your career?

One of the biggest things I learnt during my cycling career was dealing with stress and not being afraid to ask for help. These are crucial elements that I’m bringing into my new career to make sure I am successes in this part of my life.