Sébastien Travers leaves powerful legacy in Para cycling

OTTAWA – Keely Shaw, Canada’s now retired two-time Paralympic medallist in Para cycling, says Sébastien Travers’s lasting legacy as head coach of the national team goes beyond the medals.

Travers, who has worked with Canada’s Para cyclists for 20 years including the last 17 as coach of the Para cycling program, was promoted earlier this month by Cycling Canada as Chief of High Performance which encompasses all the many cycling disciplines including Para.

‘’It’s not an accident that the Para cycling team won the number of medals it did,’’ Shaw told CPC from her home in Calgary. ‘’It’s the community, environment and culture he built. He made the Para cycling program what it is today.’’

During Travers’s tenure, Canada’s Para cycling team became an international power. He was among the coaching staff at the 2016 Paralympic Games at which the Para cyclists won the most medals for Canada with nine (one gold, three silver, and five bronze). That was more than either the Para swimming or Para athletics teams, the perennial medal leaders at the summer Games.

That team included gold medallist Tristen Chernove and double medallist Ross Wilson. Three more medals were earned at Tokyo 2020 which included Shaw’s bronze in the pursuit and four at Paris 2024 where Shaw repeated her exploits.

‘’My well-being was more important than my performance as an athlete,’’ said Shaw. ‘’He believed we succeeded because we are not afraid to lose. We’re allowed to take risks which means we can actually grow.’’

Travers says leaving the Para program was one of the most difficult decisions of his career.

‘’It makes me sad because it’s been such a huge part of my life,’’ he said in an interview with CPC. ‘’I’ll always stay connected. It’s incredible to see what Para athletes can accomplish. There really aren’t any limits.’’

With a broader leadership role, Travers says the lessons learned in Para sport will serve him well.

‘’The way this team managed to overcome difficult situations, including major cultural changes, has given me many tools that I can now apply at a broader leadership level,” he said. ”It has been an incredible learning experience for me that prepared me for the next step.

”The role has also helped me better understand people’s experiences instead of judging them from the outside.”

National team member, world champion, and Paralympic Games medallist Alexandre Hayward only joined the team in 2022 but from the start Travers showed confidence in his abilities.

‘’I wasn’t treated as a new athlete finding my way in the sport,’’ said Hayward in an email to CPC. ‘’He viewed me as someone capable of competing and beating the best in the world.’’

‘’That confidence and belief from a coach can make all the difference.’’

Hayward added that Travers made sure it was also about the entire national team experience.

‘’He created an environment in which athletes can pursue excellence while still enjoying the sport. He has a way of knowing when to push and when to support.’’

Travers said national development Para cycling lead Michael van den Ham will serve as the interim Para head coach through next month’s world road championships while Cycling Canada begins the process to select Travers’ replacement.

‘’My role is to support him, mentor him and make sure he has every tool he needs,’’ said Travers.

Travers was also adamant throughout the interview to make sure that the success of Canada’s Para cycling program is not about one person.

‘’It has never been a one-man show,’’ he said. ‘’We’ve always had an outstanding staff supporting the program, who are deeply knowledgeable and involved in the day-to-day work.  

‘’The program’s greatest strength is its culture. A vision was created, it is strong and will carry us into the future.’’