Olympian Mack Horton retired from swimming before the Paris Games at the beginning of last year but has not lost his competitive edge.
Cycling was once something the 29-year-old did as part of his training in preparation for a gold medal performance in the men’s 400m freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and bronze in the men’s 4x200m relay at Tokyo 2020.
“I probably started riding my bike with mates when I was a kid, and then when I was swimming it was a supplementary training element,” Horton says.
“I used to do a lot of stationary bike stuff, like in heat chambers, for extra aerobic capacity, and I just loved it.
“I think when you’re in sport you’re so sheltered and protected that you’re not allowed to do many other things outside of the sport, so outdoor cycling could never really be a thing for me.”
Pain game: Olympian Mack Horton, pictured riding with his brother, Chad, has enjoyed pushing his limits on the bike since calling time on his elite career in the pool. Photo: Supplied
Before his retirement Horton knew only swimming but one of the upshots of calling time on his career in the pool has been the freedom to pursue sporting endeavours outside of it. He is now a fully-fledged man in lycra, who has registered for Amy’s Great Ocean Road Gran Fondo, which coincides with the 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Lorne, Victoria, on October 19.
“When I finished swimming, it was just like, ‘This is going to be where I get my aerobic fix’,” Horton continues.
“I ride to work every single day and get the exercise that I want. It’s convenient, it fits into my day, it’s perfect. And then on the weekend, I’ll go on a random, long jaunt just for fun.”
Horton does a bit more than ride to work. If you’re wondering what a fun, long jaunt for a recently retired Olympic athlete turned infrastructure consultant is, it’s between 100km-160km. He’s also participated in Tour de Cure and the taken-on gravel mecca at the Beechworth Granite Classic.
“The thing I loved about swimming training was the aerobic side and the training bit itself. Some people like the competition but I wasn’t so fussed about that. I just like to push myself as long, and as hard as I could, and I think cycling is similar,” Horton says.
“You can very easily take your body to a pretty uncomfortable place, particularly when you go past three or four hours. I just find that so interesting because when you’re swimming, your training sessions may be two to two-and-a-half hours. Your race, for me, was only about three-and-a-half minutes. [I’m] enjoying the longer format at the moment as well.”
Part of Horton’s motivation for joining Amy’s Great Ocean Road Gran Fondo - a mass participation ride that over 1600 people have so far registered for - is that he can do it with his younger brother, Chad, who is relatively new to cycling.
The pair have started to go on weekend training rides in preparation for the 122km event that canvasses some of Victoria’s most iconic coastal wonders, with riders able to compete at their own pace, safely, on roads fully closed to traffic. They have different physiology and backgrounds but are committed to at least starting together.
“I think the experience in doing something with him and having something that we can work for and train for together is fun,” Horton says.
“Exercising is our favourite activity to do together. We’d go for runs or go to the gym. This is our first foray together into cycling and hopefully not the last.”
It sounds like a beautiful tale - sibling love ready to conquer what Australian cycling legend turned Hendry’s bike shop owner Simon Gerrans describes as an “honest course”.
“He’s way stronger. He was a rock climber, so he has zero muscle endurance. We’re opposite ends of the physical spectrum,” Horton continues of his brother.
“Like, we went for a ride on the weekend, and it was 60km or something. We did a little bit of elevation, and he literally had to stop and walk up some of the hills at the end he was so cooked.”
Brotherly love or sibling rivalry? Amy's Gran Fondo will be the Horton brothers first foray into cycling together. Photo: Supplied
There is a recreational category at Amy’s Great Ocean Road Gran Fondo that allows for E-bikes, but Horton isn’t having it.
“I have not entered that one, and I will not let him enter that. He’s committed. But how good is that though that they let people do that. I think that’s cool,” he says.
It’s not until you start talking about the finish line specifically that you see shades of Horton’s competitive side that no doubt made him so fearsome in the pool. As the saying goes, once an Olympian, always an Olympian.
When asked if he intends to cross the finish line with his brother for a picture-perfect Instagram post, Horton, love aside, doesn’t hesitate.
“Great question! We haven’t discussed it yet,” he says.
“I suspect we’ll try and ride together for a bit, he’ll hit a wall and be like, ‘You’ve got to go without me.’ That’s how I reckon it’s going to go. And I will leave him. But then maybe I should just leave him at the start. I don’t know.”
Over to you, Chad.
Main Image: Supplied