This week’s athlete in focus is one bringing a breath of fresh air to his sport. I have often been told that cycling is an outdated old-people’s sport, but Scottish rider Cameron Mason proves otherwise.
The 24-year-old road, mountain bike, cyclocross and gravel racer stands out with his constantly improving record: he was Under 23 British National Champion in cyclocross and winner of the Dendermonde World Cup, and came third at the European Championships.
Mason keeps proving himself in the Elite category, having won two national and one vice-European Champion titles in cyclocross, the Scottish Gravel Championship, and the British Marathon mountain bike Championship. The Linlithgow native also competes on the road, in the development roster of the Alpecin-Deceuninck professional team.
Cameron Mason’s performances are unique, indeed, but his vision of the sport differentiates him from other cyclists. His Instagram naturally displays race photos and official pictures of his team’s kit, but it also shows the life of a 24-year-old going thrifting, trying out coffee shops and exploring Scotland’s stunning landscapes. Although Mason delivers unique performances on the bike, one can’t help but relate to this cheerful, surprisingly close-to-real-life athlete.
He also runs a Youtube channel on which he documents his races or training sessions, contributing to modernising cycling’s reputation, and introducing newbies to the inner workings of the sport. Watching his videos with my little brother before rides or races a few years ago made me fall in love again with cycling, and might just have influenced the choice of Edinburgh for my exchange year.
Cameron Mason is more than a role model for me, but he can, objectively, inspire all sports fans. He reminds us that high-performance athletes are also humans, with their smiles and tears, victories and defeats, epic training sessions and casual rides in the Highlands.
He might be one of the most unattainable yet relatable athletes, bringing us back to real life and inspiring his community to thrive through sports. The cyclocross season has just begun, but let’s hope Cameron Mason will have as many race reports as smiley pictures to share this year.
Photo Credits: “Cameron Mason (GBR) 2023” by MFonzatti is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.