He had to beat one of his cycling inspirations for an Australian team spot, but Canberra sprint specialist Nathan Hart is insists he will be able to handle the nerves when he makes his Commonwealth Games debut next month.
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The former bike shop salesman will complete a spectacular rise from riding part-time in Canberra to the international stage when he joins a 41-strong national team at Glasgow.
There are nine ACT riders across four disciplines - road, track, mountain biking and para-cycling - in the Australian team aiming to better its record 21-medal haul from the Commonwealth Games in Delhi four years ago.
But Hart, 21, had to beat one of his cycling inspirations - fellow Canberran Daniel Ellis - for the first-wheel spot in the team sprint.
Ellis paved the way for Hart to follow his cycling dreams when he was part of the Australian sprint team that finished fourth at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
"I was 15 when Dan made the Olympics in 2008 and I definitely looked up to him; he's super fast and super talented," Hart said. "It does feel a bit weird [that I got the spot ahead of him]. It's all still sinking in for me and I think it will take a bit longer before I get my head around it.
"I raced for Australia for the first time in Mexico in December last year ... It's all happened pretty quick, so I've just been reminding myself it's been the culmination of a lot of years of hard work.
"Even a year ago, the Commonwealth Games weren't on the radar. It's a pretty good feeling."
World track sprinting queen Anna Meares will lead the Australian team, joined by Kathy Watt as the only Australian women cyclists to ride at four Commonwealth Games.
Meares, the London Olympics sprint gold medallist, has six Commonwealth Games medals, including four gold, and is on the verge of passing Watt’s seven podium finishes, which also feature four wins.
Canberra rider Nathan Haas, who has just finished the Giro d’Italia for the first time, is part of the men's road team, while Chloe Hosking - who won a bronze medal in 2010 - and Gracie Elvin are on the women's road team.
Despite its relatively small population, the ACT continues to prove its pedal power on the world stage by making up more than 20 per cent of the Australian team.
Andrew Blair and Rebecca Henderson will lead Canberra's charge on the trails, selected in the mountain bike teams, while 21-year-old Nathan Hart is part of the men's track sprint team.
Paul Kennedy will team with his pilot Thomas Clarke, while Canberra public servant Brandie O'Connor will also contest the tandem para-cycling category in Glasgow.
Hart moved to Adelaide earlier this year to pursue his cycling dreams after working part-time as a bike shop assistant and training with the ACT Academy of Sport in Canberra. He only started cycling after being put through the ACTAS talent identification program and switched from athletics to the bike.
He will join Olympic bronze medallist Shane Perkins and Matthew Glaetzer in the sprint team.
"As soon as I started cycling, I loved it ... As far as results go, I haven't thought about that at the moment, so I can focus on doing the work before we leave," Hart said.
