Liz says she was “gutted” when she wasn’t chosen for Team GB in 2012, despite having won a bronze medal at the World Championships in New Zeal-and that year and being ranked first in her category – hand-cycling – in the UK and second on the European hand-cycling circuit.
“There is no qualification criterion as such,” she tells The Portugal News, explaining “it’s up to each national governing body to put you forward, but you do have to be world-ranked.”
Liz McTernan is currently ranked eighth in the world in the H4 hand-cycling category.
Through self-funding and the support of sponsors she has dedicated the past several years to continuously improving as an athlete, having started out in triathlon before deciding to specialise in hand-cycling, and is now in her fifth season of competing.
“I knew my strengths lay in hand-cycling and it was the one thing I didn’t want to give up as I can go outside and train”, she says.
The mother-of-two, who turned 50 last week on 12 January, suffered a spinal cord injury in 2004 following a scuba-diving accident but refuses to let the life-changing disability stop her from achieving goals that are impressive by any standard.
“If I don’t try I’ll never know. I think, well I’ve improved steadily every year; I don’t see why I can’t keep improving. I don’t feel like I’ve peaked or plateaued just yet”, she quips.
Later this year she faces half a dozen major sporting events – “and a couple spare just in case” – which if she does well in, could see Liz being selected for a place on Team GB.
During summer she will be taking on at least three C1 competitions to gain World-Ranking points, and as many World Cups, to be eligible for a place on the national team.
“I’ve been told by British cycling that I have to medal, gold preferably, in three World Cups this year. Or at least three, because the best three count towards my world-ranking.”
Coached by the former professional racing cyclist, four time Olympian and world medallist Bryan Steel, Liz is outspokenly in favour of hosting the Olympic and Paralympics games as a single event: “I’m all for integrating it all to be honest. I don’t think we need to have it separate.”
But she does praise London 2012 for boosting the profile of paralympians and “opening peoples’ eyes to different sports.”
“In fact it’s not different actually, it’s just the same. It’s just that we use different equipment.”
During her stay in the Algarve Liz was hosted by expat couple David and Anne Hadfield, who live on the outskirts of Silves and also regularly host Irish gold-winning Paralympian Marc Rohan.
“The weather here is fantastic”, Liz says of the Algarve, reflecting: “In the UK now I wouldn’t be out on the bike because the weather is so atrocious. I know everyone here says it is quite chilly and cold, but compared to the UK, on a hand-bike, in three degrees or worse, with horizontal rain, or vertical rain, or sideways rain… And the roads here are very quiet.”
Based in rural Lincolnshire Liz says the roads there are also very quiet, “but it’s not that hilly.
“I came here specifically to do my last spate of endurance training and I need the hills.”
One of the routes she uses to build strength is an undulating circuit around the Arade Dam, while long stretches of main road like the IC1 between Messines and São Marcos da Serra are ideal for speed and time trial practice.
Liz is also hugely complimentary of the people she meets while out training, including the drivers.
“Everyone has been really courteous and friendly,” she says, adding: “We like it when people toot at us. If you see us, give us a toot!”
Follow Liz McTernan on Twitter (@lizmcternan) or see website: www.lizmcternan. com.