| Ross Wilson | |
| Birth Date: | 10 December 1981 |
| Birth Place: | Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada |
Ross Wilson (born December 10, 1981) is a Canadian para-cyclist.
Wilson was born on December 10, 1981, in Sherwood Park, Alberta.[1]
In his 20s, Wilson began noticing his gait changing and he would constantly be rolling his ankles.[2] He was eventually diagnosed with Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease, a neurological condition that affected his nerves and muscles. After losing over 100 pounds, he bought himself a bike to stay active and continue to lose weight.[3] He subsequently joined the Juventus Cycling Club in 2012 where he met coach Cam Jennings.[4] By 2014, he joined the Argyll Velodrome Association and raced in the 2014 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.[5]
While training for the 2015 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Wilson was struck by a car backing out of a parking spot. As his body flew through the back window, he broke his clavicle, some ribs, and vertebrae.[6] However, he recovered by 2016 and was named to Team Canada's roster for the 2016 Summer Paralympics.[7] To qualify for the Paralympics, Wilson set a new world and Paralympic record at 3:53.66, which was beaten five minutes later by Zhangyu at 3:50.373.[8] Wilson ended his first Paralympic Games with two silver medals; one in men’s c1 individual pursuit and another in the men’s c1 road time trial.[9]
In 2017, Wilson earned a gold medal at the 2017 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in the C1 men's 3,000 metre individual pursuit.[10] He would later take home a silver medal at the 2017 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, losing to Germany’s Michael Teuber.[11]
The following year, Wilson earned a silver medal after finishing 2.362 seconds behind Ricardo Argiles at the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[12] He also earned a bronze medal at the 2019 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.[13] At the 2018–19 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Wilson set a new world record for the C1 Men’s Individual Pursuit with a time of 3:49.450.[14]