A teenage cyclist from Northern Ireland who only a few months ago was juggling his A-levels with competing in races has spent his Christmas in training and is now aiming for Olympic gold and an attempt at the Tour de France.
Seth Dunwoody (18), from Hamiltonbawn in Co Armagh, has been making his mark in the world of professional cycling and has now signed for the official cycling team of Bahrain, travelling the world competing in different races.
“The team itself is owned by the Prince of Bahrain,” Seth said.
“I haven’t actually been to Bahrain yet — we just go from country to country competing.”
While most NI teenagers were eating their Christmas turkey, Seth was flying to Spain to begin training for the start of the cycling season, which runs from March to October.
Seth Dunwoody
“I’m out here for a bit by myself until January 10 and then the rest of the team are coming out,” he explained.
“We do a lot of training together, just really honing all the skills.
“After Spain I’m going to Greece. So you just really go where the weather is good for cycling.”
Seth said he has always had a passion for cycling.
“I started cycling when I was very young. I was racing on the mountains at around seven, but I didn’t start road racing until I was 11,” he said.
“I originally got into it through my dad. He was doing amateur cycling through Ireland and NI and he got me into it.”
As Seth’s cycling skills became more apparent, he began entering competitions across Europe.
“At home, cycling isn’t that big. But when you get to Europe, it’s definitely a lot harder, because you have well over 100 people on the road with you.”
Although Seth is now cycling full time, he juggled the sport alongside studying his A-levels at The Royal School in Armagh, explaining: “It was a lot harder to maintain last year because I had school and there were times I’d have to leave for a competition on a Friday and not be back until Tuesday.”
Despite the difficulties, Seth always had the support of his peers.
Centre: Seth Dunwoody (Photo by Martine Verfaillie)
“I think when I was younger, people didn’t really pay much attention. But then when I started my A-levels, people could see how passionate I was about it, and then I sort of became ‘Seth the cyclist’ to people in school,” he said.
In October, Seth placed first in the junior category of the Chrono des Nations, and he now has his heart set on bigger goals.
“I really want to do well in the 2028 Olympics in LA and I’d like to do the Tour de France, hopefully in 2028 or 2029,” he said.
“It’s very hilly, though, and I’m better on the straight, so it’s not a race I could see myself winning.”
The teenager is also eager to encourage more young people to take up cycling.
“I think it’s really important to enjoy it — because I’ve seen a lot of young people [leave] it because they took it too seriously. It’s supposed to be fun… I still see the fun in it.”