Partial Paralysis Doesn't Keep Paralympian Tim Celen Off the Bike: "I Would Choose This Life Again"

At the end of summer, the Paris Paralympic Summer Games will take place. Our ambassador Tim Celen is one of the flag bearers for Team Belgium and is resolutely aiming for gold. He has long embraced his partial paralysis: "At 26, I’ve seen the world, met our royal family, and turned my hobby into my profession. How could I be ungrateful?"

Tim's life story begins a stone's throw from our factory in Beringen. "At my birth, I had a brain hemorrhage. We will never know if it happened before or after, but as a result, I have paralysis on the right side of my body. I can perform tasks but have less balance and suffer from spasms. It was only after a few months, when I developed pneumonia, that the doctors diagnosed my paralysis."

The lively and energetic Tim grew up in the municipality of Ham (in the hamlet of Genendijk) and had a sporty youth. "Football runs in the family, and my father passed his love for the sport on to me. That's how I ended up in G-football, and occasionally, I also participated in cycling tours. I never thought about switching until experts noticed my talent around the age of 13. Through G-Sport Vlaanderen, I got into the World Cup paracycling, specifically in the T2 category. In 2016, at just 18, I was already at the Rio Games! At the Games, we must visit the doctor with the necessary documentation to be placed in the correct category. Otherwise, you’d obviously say whatever you want."

Cycling through Limburg on a tricycle. It's an Eddy Merckx 525 that mechanics Karel Lenaers and Michael Velkeneers converted into a racing machine for Tim. "Actually, everything in my life follows the same principle: I can do it, but in my own way. The result and the feeling are the same, and because I have never known any different, I don’t feel different."

Tim's career took off during the COVID-19 break. "Suddenly, there was a lot of time to make extra training miles. At that time, I was studying 'graphic designer' at Syntra and studied at home. With the right schedule, combining it with cycling was possible. There were no races then, so I didn't know where I stood. The period that followed was the best in my career and took me to every continent in the world."

In early May 2021, Tim won the Tour of Flanders. A few days later, he won a gold medal in the road race and a silver medal in the time trial at the World Cup G-cycling in Ostend. On June 13, he won the world title after a sprint with five on the Estoril circuit in Portugal. Naturally, the Olympic selection was merely a formality.

In Tokyo, the Ham native won silver in the road race and bronze in the time trial. This brought him a lot of attention. "I got to visit the king, whom I have now met several times. Additionally, my favorite football club, KRC Genk, honored me by letting me kick off at the home match against Union, which I also found an incredible experience!"

Tim also made sporting progress. "Since the Tokyo Games, my stats have steadily improved. I started working with Remko Meeusen, who previously worked at Quick-Step and coached Alaphilippe. In just a few years, I’m now pushing 80 to 90 watts more than at the Games. I get 70% of that power from my left leg and 30% from my right leg. With fitness, I try to control that balance, although it will, of course, never be equal."

Paris 2024 has been on Tim's mind for three years. "I'm having an ideal year without injuries and gained a lot of confidence in the World Cup. There is still one medal missing in my trophy case, so it's no secret that I’m aiming for gold. Initially, I’m focusing on the road race, and in the time trial, I’ll be satisfied with a podium finish. In Tokyo, there was a 4-kilometer climb, which doesn’t suit me. In Belgium, it's also hard to simulate that distance uphill. Now it's about shorter climbs. I can prepare for that with targeted training in Valkenburg or Houffalize."

Tim’s training resembles that of his colleagues in regular cycling in many ways. "I look at the wind direction and start with the wind in my face. In the rolling Hageland, I can train my explosiveness, while the 'Canal Triangle' is suitable for training at a constant pace. There, I comfortably average 30 kilometers per hour. At the beginning of the year, I also went to Mallorca for some extra altitude training. Then I sometimes do rides of 100 kilometers, although I don't overdo it. Our races are often only about 40 kilometers, so there’s no point in overloading myself."

Anyone who sees Tim ride is immediately amazed by the high speed he achieves on his tricycle. "The difference with a two-wheeler is mainly in the corners, where we really have to lean to counterbalance. When my mother tried this once, she went straight into the hedge (laughs). I’ve been riding like this since my childhood at the campsite, where I often ended up under the caravans. I got used to it, and cornering suits me well."

At the Games, Tim will be without a fellow countryman by his side. "That makes it difficult because the competitors can ride in teams. That’s why I maintain good contact with an American. If I win gold now, maybe I can support him in his home country during the 2028 Games in Los Angeles," he jokes. "No, I’m actually not good at losing. As long as I reach my best level, I want to keep winning. That’s also the case at the World Championships in Zurich after the Games. Fortunately, I have all the support from Sport Vlaanderen, which gave me a top sports status. Along with the support of my parents and brother, that gives me the strength to aim for the highest!"