Chatham-Kent’s Nick Wammes, Making CK Proud

Chatham-Kent sends athletes across Ontario, Canada, and the globe each year to compete athletically. Sponsored by baCK to Chatham-Kent, we’ll be featuring local athletes who have left Chatham-Kent, and are proudly representing our community. We hope many of these athletic ambassadors for our community someday come baCK to call Chatham-Kent home.

This week, we feature Bothwell’s Nick Wammes.

Wammes competes for Team Canada’s National cycling team. Last year he won multiple gold medals at the Canadian National Championships. He also competed for Canada at the Pan American Games.

Here are Nick’s responses to our baCK to Chatham-Kent athletes interview:

1. Can you describe what support you’ve felt from your hometown/Chatham-Kent while you’ve been away?

I’ve had a pretty good amount of support from back home over the last few years. Quite a few people will check in from time to time to see how training is going and what is coming up next on my race calendar. For the most part, I have pretty good media coverage for my results and if there is a big race coming up for me, someone may reach out about doing a quick article. Chatham-Kent loves their hometown athletes and they are always very supportive when we do well on the national/international stage.

2. What do you enjoy about coming home to visit?

Growing up in rural CK, it was quite a big adjustment for me to move to the GTA where I live and train for most of the year now. Its very busy here, always busy and always something going on. Sometimes I really like the fast pace and other times it becomes bit too much. Lately I haven’t been able to be home very much with such a busy World Cup season and now being well into the Olympic year. When I do come home, it’s usually for a period of rest so I really do enjoy the much slower pace of things while being back home and not having to struggle to find a parking spot haha. Chatham-Kent has always been my home and I am proud to say that is where I am from when I’m away in another part of the world.

3. Would you consider making Chatham-Kent home again some day?

In all honesty, I really have no idea where I may end up. I have not put a lot of time into planning my life after sport but there will come a time for that in the future. I’m still quite young, I’m only 20 years old and I hope my career in this sport is still in the early stages. The world is a big place and there’s a lot of things that I need to make decisions on for a career path after sport. Returning back to CK is always a possibility, there is a lot of opportunity within the community in many aspects and I believe that will continue to grow over the next few years.

4. What advice would you give to young athletes baCK home in Chatham-Kent?

Follow your dreams and take chances. It sounds super cliche but it’s the truth. You have to love what you do and you need to do it for yourself and no one else. Sport is ugly and sport is beautiful, it’s full of highs and lows and the highs are really high and the lows are really low. I think that’s what makes it all so exciting and what makes the hard times worth it. Give 100% in everything and trust the process, and always remember that dreams don’t work unless you do.