Kochi, Oct. 1: India’s Kezia Varghese has achieved the rare distinction of completing the International Cycling Federation’s first all-women Coaching Course (Level 3) for elite coaches at its headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland earlier this week.
The 35-year-old coach, a former international cyclist from Kochi, Kerala, has the further honour of receiving this opportunity as part of an International Olympic Committee (IOC) initiative that supports athletes, coaches, and sports professionals from different countries.
“Only 12 women were part of this amazing course and I had been selected through an IOC initiative called the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship,” Kezia Varghese told UCI. “It has been an amazing three weeks at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle for all of us and a great learning experience for me,” she added.
Kezia, who has won 6 International and as many as 84 National medals during the course of her illustrious career, took up coaching shortly after retiring and had done her UCI Level 1 and 2 Courses and has been a State coach for the last 4 years.
“Our mission is to extend all possible support to coaches and athletes from countries that do not have access to world-class training facilities or infrastructure,” UCI Director of World Cycling Centre Jacques Landry explained. “Over the last few months there is a lot of buzz around cycling in India and we are delighted that another Indian coach could be part of one of our special courses,” he added.
“I am deeply grateful to the Cycling Federation of India for giving me this wonderful opportunity and now will strive even harder to see India on the podium in major international events. I hope to use my own experience and the knowledge that I have gained at this course to contribute to Indian cycling and help our riders perform better,” she added.
“Among many things, I now know how to plan and structure a training session even better and how to periodize it as well for long term gains,” Kezia said. “While the course itself is quite advanced I learnt a lot from my class mates who gladly shared their experiences and knowledge with all of us.”
