St George's World Champion cyclist Steve Wooldridge is being remembered for his tireless contribution to the sport after taking his own life at the age of 39.
Phill Bates, St George Cycling Club president and life member of Cycling Australia, has penned the following tribute to Woodridge – our most successful teams pursuiter of all time.
In your lifetime you give support, encouragement and the opportunity for young cyclists to reach their goal. In our sport of cycling, you see some conquer with lesser effort than others.
Then you witness those that continue to work harder and reach even greater heights. This was Steve Wooldridge
Steve started racing with St George as a youngster and continued to improve, especially under the early guidance of Jimmy Beer and then with NSW coach Gary Sutton.
A junior state representative, Steve rose to national champion in 1997 winning the teams pursuit, and also picked up a silver and bronze medal in the scratch race and individual pursuit.
He raced up to the Sydney Olympics with some outstanding performances while mixing it with university studies, but missed the last minute cut to make his first ever Olympic team when the squad was reduced from nine riders to seven.
In 2001, racing the World titles in Belgium, Steve met with his first major disappointment when the team crashed out in the qualifying round after some outstanding efforts during the year.
The following year Steve lost his biggest supporter, his mum Jan to cancer in 2002, just months before the Commonwealth Games.
Steve went on to win the Commonwealth Games gold medal and the first of four World titles in the team pursuit. In amongst the four world titles was the gold medal at the Athens Olympic Games.
More medals followed but he finished his career as our most successful teams pursuiter of all time.
It was not always easy for Steve, mixing a degree in engineering with training, marriage, family and even major falls when he broke his jaw in Europe. Even with his jaw wired, he still managed to smile.
As a member of the Australian Institute of Sport, Steve never experienced a winter for nine months but if he did come home, headed to Oatley Park for his favourite 24k handicap race.
Tragically this week Steve gave his life away leaving behind a 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter, his former wife Danni, family and friends just short of his 40th birthday.
Steve achieved many cycling accolades, inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions and was playing a pivotal marketing role at UNSW as Director of Development – Faculty of Engineering raising millions of dollars for research programs.
Steve was a great club man despite his international success and rarely missed the club's annual Graham Bennie, club functions and presentations and made himself available for many roles in promoting the sport including being a former Board member of Cycling Australia after chairing the Australian Athletes Commission.
Apart from the loss of his mum to cancer, Steve also had a testicular cancer scare and was always supportive of charitable organisations and became ambassador for the successful Ride for Life, staged over a decade that raised funds to build a cancer survivor’s centre, attached to Prince of Wales Hospital.
His infectious smile, gentleman attitude on and off the bike made him a very special person.
We are better for knowing him and worse off for losing him.
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- MensLine 1300 789 978
- Beyondblue 1300 224 636