January 19/25 13:15 pm - Mel Pemble & Nathan Clement Repeat as 2024 Para-cyclists of the Year

Posted by Editoress on 01/19/25
 

Mel Pemble and Nathan Clement have been selected through reader voting as the Canadian Cyclist Para-cyclists of 2024. Clement also took the award for Best Individual Performance by a para-cyclist. This is the third consecutive award for Pemble and the second for Clement, as well as his second for Best Individual Performance.

While 2024 is the 28th year of the Canadian Cyclist Awards, it is the ninth year that Canadian Cyclist has presented Para-cyclist of the Year awards, and the second that we have presented a separate Best Individual Performance award for para-cycling.

Mel Pemble, of Victoria, BC, repeated as the Female winner, with 46.1% of the first place votes cast, followed by Paralympic bronze medallists Kate O'Brien (C4) of Calgary with 32.0% and Keely Shaw (C4) of Midale, Saskatchewan, with 21.9%. Pemble, racing in the women's C3 category, set a Paralympic and world record in the women's C3 category for the 500 metre time trial, with a time of 38.512 seconds. She narrowly missed the Paralympic podium, finishing fourth in the combined category C1-C3, and was the top C3 rider. At the world championships, she won silver in the 500 metre and bronze in the Omnium. Pemble finished 2024 second in the C3 Track world rankings. Pemble, who represented Canada as an Alpine skier at the 2018 Winter Paralympics, joined the national para-cycling team in 2022.

"I'm honoured to be voted as Canadian Cyclist of the Year for a third year," says Pemble. "Knowing that people recognize the hard work that goes into a season means a lot. 2024 has moments I can be proud of and the Paralympics was an amazing experience. It's a nice way to close out the quad. Thank you to all who voted for me!"

Nathan Clement of West Vancouver, like Pemble, came to cycling in 2022 from another para sport - Swimming. The T1 category rider took an impressive 70.9% of first place votes, with Paralympic bronze medallist Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis, New Brunswick, taking 29.1%. Clement won Paralympic silver in the road time trial, as well as finishing ninth in the combined T1-T2 road race - the third T1 rider. He became both time trial and road race world champion for T1 men, and had six top-5 Road World Cup results, finishing 2024 ranked number one in the world for T1 men.

In the Best Individual Performance voting, Clement took 39.8% of first place votes for his road race world title, followed by Mel Pemble's world record 500 metre at 17.1%, and Keely Shaw's Paralympic bronze medal in the women's C4 Individual Pursuit at 13.9%.

Nathan Clement stated, "To even be considered for both of these awards, let alone win them, is truly humbling - especially when I think of teammates like Alex Hayward, Dr. Keely Shaw, Kate O'Brien, and Mel Pemble, who brought their best in Paris and throughout 2024. I am grateful to be surrounded by people like them, who inspire greatness in me and other riders.

"2024 was a year filled with incredible highs but also moments that tested my resolve and grit. Pushing through those challenges to achieve my childhood dream of winning a Paralympic medal and securing my third World Title has left me deeply thankful. I owe so much to my teammates, coaches, and the amazing community in Vancouver and across Canada."