From Cirque du Soleil to the commentary booth, BMXer Jeff Whaley rode a winding path to Paris
Quebec native to become first Canadian ever to compete in freestyle event on Tuesday
Jeff Whaley was "devastated" to learn he qualified for the Olympics.
The L'Assomption, Que., BMX rider received the news just five weeks ago — while his shoulder was still in a sling, recovering from a torn labrum.
"I thought I was not gonna be able to be here in Paris. Obviously coming back from my surgery, I knew that I was supposed to remove my sling just a couple days ago," Whaley said. "So I was super devastated. Obviously that was one of my goals and I did it and I was not gonna be able to live it. And it was super hard for me to accept."
Whaley, 28, will become the first Canadian to ever compete in BMX freestyle when he hits the park at La Concorde on Tuesday.
It's a dream that was sparked in the commentary booth.
The Canadian was on the call for Radio-Canada when BMX freestyle made its Olympic debut three years ago in Tokyo.
At the time, Whaley was long retired from the sport. He'd even spent the previous four-and-a-half years performing on Cirque Du Soleil's Volta show. But he got back on his bike and back into competition as soon as he could after Tokyo.
"It just kind of became a bit of a mission for me to not only qualify, obviously, but to be the first one, to be the first Canadian and hopefully set the path for future riders that now can see that this is possible. They can ride BMX freestyle and make it all the way to the Olympics," he said.
Whaley returned in time to place 50th at the world championships in Dubai in 2022. A year later, in Glasgow, he improved to 12th — setting the stage to reach the 12-man Olympics.
First, though, he needed to sweat out the Olympic Qualifier Series — a two-event contest that also included breaking, skateboarding and sport climbing — from afar.
But his 12th-place finish at worlds meant that he still had a shot, depending on which riders from which countries advanced to Paris. Somehow, it all worked out for Whaley.
WATCH | Explaining BMX freestyle at the Olympics:
'Miracle' recovery
And that's when the true sprint began.
"When I got the news that I qualified, I was still in the sling for another couple of weeks. So it's been a crazy mission to get ready with my doctor, my surgeon, my physiotherapist, my team back home to get me back on track, get me back on the bike and get ready for Paris," he said.
After receiving the call from Team Canada that he'd been nominated for the Olympics, Whaley needed a few days to consult with his team.
He called his surgeon and asked if there was any way to speed up the recovery process. He was informed that he could remove the sling two weeks earlier than planned — giving him a two-week leadup to train and get ready for the Olympics.
It was more than enough. On July 8, the sling was removed.
"With my team of physiotherapists back home, we made a miracle and we made it happen," Whaley said.
"We worked day and night and I did everything I possibly could to get my arm and my shoulder ready, strong enough, stable enough for me to be safe on the bike, first of all, because that's a priority for me, obviously, but also to have a level high enough to represent Canada here on the biggest stage."
On July 20, he was required to send a video to Team Canada proving those things. Once he passed that final test, it was on to the Olympics.
Paris has provided one last speed bump, with two of four training sessions cancelled due to rain. Whaley is keeping his expectations in check.
"I'm trying to enjoy this time, enjoy this moment and make the most out of it. But also I'm here to compete. I'm here to represent Canada. So I'm going to do everything I can to give the best I can."
