Talking with Peter Disera
P
eter Disera is staring down the chance to take the starting line at the Olympics this July with a maple leaf on his back. Talent and hard work granted him this opportunity, but for the 25-year-old, sacrifice and creative problem solving were key to his success as a pro mountain biker and a student at the University of Guelph.
Born and raised in Horseshoe Valley, Ont., Peter started mountain biking at a young age and raced competitively in Ontario and across Canada. He was considered a top talent early on, but all expectations were shattered when he earned a silver medal at the 2013 Junior (Under 19) World Championships in South Africa. The only other Canadian to achieve this result was Ryder Hesjedal — one of the most decorated Canadian cyclists — in 1998.
Although Peter established himself as a promising XC (cross country) mountain bike racer, the path to greatness was unclear. Many junior cyclists achieve success at a young age but either burn out or get injured before their career can truly form.
Before his silver-medal breakthrough, Peter had planned to pursue an engineering degree, and had, at the time, already been accepted to the University of Guelph. He was determined that he could do both, build a racing career and complete his degree as quickly as possible, but he admitted to me that it was challenging from the start.
“If there was ever a time in my life I was depressed, it was in those first four months because I went from a crazy high” — winning silver at Worlds — “and coming into university a week after orientation.” He says he knew no one and describes feeling like he was already behind in his classes.
The mountain bike race season can start as soon as March, so early training preparation is critical to laying a foundation for a successful year. Peter had grand ambitions to win the Canadian National Championships as a first year professional with the Norco Factory Team in 2014. He needed to devote as much time as possible to his training, so he loaded himself with courses in the Fall semester so that he wouldn’t have to take any in the Winter.
It proved to be the wrong approach.
“I did not ride my bike for 4 months,” he said. “That year went sideways for me.”
Being so overloaded with coursework in the fall left him no time to train or do any physical activity. This hurt him when he got to Nationals. “The fact that I didn’t win Nationals that year was improbable to me. I was the top Canadian leading into that race and then just cracked.”
It was a realization that this balancing act would need to be refined.
In his third year, Peter reduced his course load, taking only four courses in the Fall semester and three in the Winter. This required careful planning so he could ensure he met the prerequisites his degree required. It was a risky plan. There was zero tolerance for failing his Winter courses, as he wouldn’t be able to make them up the following semester.
While he described this approach as not for everyone, it allowed him enough time for the 18 to 20 hours of training he needed every week.
Being an intuitive and quick learner aided him with his schoolwork, but he credits his classmates with helping him get through when he missed classes. A pro-cyclist typically takes a week or two in February to dedicate themselves to intense training, 30 to 40 hours of riding a week. Peter describes coming back from this type of training camp exhausted and reaching out to classmates, offering a coffee or lunch in exchange for a run through of what material he missed.
“I owe so much to those peers who were willing to help me.”
Peter treated this grind as a race, pacing himself but always digging deep into discomfort when required.
Peter graduated in December 2018, and leading into 2020, he once again has great expectations.
Thanks to two career-best World Cup results in 2019, Peter is the top prospect for the Canadian Men’s mountain bike team. He placed 11th in Andorra and sixth in Les Gets France, the latter of which was a hard-fought battle to stay with a front group of six world-class racers — an achievement few North American male racers can attest to. Though it is worth noting that North American female racers achieve greater results on the international stage with American Kate Courtney recently becoming World Champion.
The next potential qualifying race will be a World Cup in the Czech Republic in May. Barring another Canadian placing within the top five of that race, Peter will likely be selected by Cycling Canada to race on Jul. 27, just outside of Tokyo. “To be selected for the Olympic team will be a dream come true… That has to be one of the coolest things.”
He has tempered expectations about medalling but remains driven by the idea of representing his country on the world stage. Peter tells me he is optimistic about achieving a respectable result for Canada.
“If I went top eight, that would meet and exceed expectations. Top eight would be a phenomenal day.”
Peter has been in Southern California and Girona, Spain this past winter, logging steady miles and pushing himself to lay the aerobic foundation he hopes will carry him through the season.
Photo by Nicola Wenn, provided by Peter Disera
A version of this article appeared in print in The Ontarion issue 188.3 on Mar. 12, 2020.
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