An athlete, who through hardship and difficulties pursued his passion and dream with such determination that he achieved one of the biggest goals in his life and became an Olympian on the 4th of August 2021.
Remarkably, Jean relied on crowd funding, self-funding and the generosity of people to finance the qualification process, which allowed him the incredible opportunity to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Cycling in general is a passion for Jean, but track sprinting is where his heart really lies. Track cycling is known to some as the Formula One of the sport because it is fast, exciting and above all extremely competitive, not only in speed, but in the ground-breaking equipment and training alike.
Jean has kept a top twenty World Ranking for most of the last four years using a second hand, six-year-old track bicycle and running on a shoestring budget for all travel, competition and training. He truly believes with the right support from a financial sponsor, he will not only be able to match the rest of the world with the right equipment, but with less worries about “if he can make it to the next race,” he will have the ability to completely focus on the task at hand, allowing him show the world what he is really capable of.
As a South African, Jean wears the South African colors proudly, but recognizes that track cycling is a niche sport that requires tremendous commitment to the athletes aiming at the Olympic Games. Similarly, Jean understands the current economic situation in South Africa means that he needs to look outside of the South African borders for the assistance with the sponsorship he needs to achieve the dream of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Jean is currently training in and around Milton Keynes as he starts the qualifying process for the Paris Olympic Games. There is a GoFundMe page for any donations or even just words of encouragement.
