Community Spotlight – David Jack

David Jack is the OC Track Academy and Provincial Track Coach. His work primarily focuses on athlete development through the competitive pathway from the Provincial to National Team. After graduating with a Kinesiology degree from Western University, he turned to coaching, becoming a Chartered Professional Coach through the Coaching Association of Canada. Over the last 24 years, David earned the respect of both his coaching colleagues and athletes, for his thoughtful approach and efforts to advance Youth Cycling in Ontario. In 2024, he led Team Ontario to 5 gold medals in the U17/U19 Team Pursuit and Team Sprint events at Track Nationals in Bromont, QC.  But for Dave, his success as a coach isn’t defined by the winning results, and instead is measured by the positive influence he has made on young athletes in pursuit of their cycling dreams. The appreciation for Dave’s work from the athletes is evident with multiple youth Madison teams naming themselves unique iterations of “David Jack Fan Club” at Ontario Cycling’s Swing and Fling events. We sat down with David to hear his story and the impact cycling and coaching have had on his life. 

How did you start cycling?  When did you know that this was your sport? 

I grew up in a very small town. The bicycle was freedom. In high school I was into football and rugby and started lifting weights to get bigger. I didn’t have my own car so I would have to ride my bike 25km to the nearest gym to lift. A friend noticed that I was doing a lot of riding and suggested I try some races. I got frustrated with the other two sports (playing rugby at university) and decided to put more energy into cycling and I immediately got faster once I focused on it. I was hooked after that. 

What made you want to get into coaching? Was there a specific coach or mentor you had that influenced you along the way? 

When I was living in Japan, I started doing some racing there. I met some American riders there that did not appear to know how to train properly. I learned way too many things the hard way, so I decided to help them out. I started putting energy into coaching after that. 

What is your favourite experience that you have from all your years in the sport? 

I can’t name just one… there are too many. Traveling around the world, seeing many interesting things and meeting lots of great people is pretty neat. The satisfaction I get from helping others chase their goals far exceeds what I felt in my own athletic career. 

What has inspired you to keep working in the sport and with athletes? 

Sport changed my life in a very positive way. I was very lucky to have some amazing coaches in my life that I owe so much to. Being a coach is a way of giving back and contributing to society in a positive way. My ultimate goal is to help make better people. Goal setting, hard work and perseverance that people get when challenging themselves in sport, if they can apply that to other parts of their life, well, they will be successful in just about anything they do if they can apply the same principals. 

 With the Summer Olympics just around the corner, are there any athletes who have participated on the world stage (TNC Milton, Worlds) that you’ve coached? If so, what does it mean to you and what advice do you have for those trying to follow in their footsteps? 

I have quite a few athletes that I have worked with in the past that will be at the games. Derek Gee and Michael Foley before they made it to the elite level followed my training programs when they were younger. Pretty much everyone going for track events I’ve worked with in one way or another (Jr. Worlds, Pan Am Games, Nations Cups…. motor pacing, etc…). I try to let them know as much as possible that I believe in them and that they have my support. (I’m at the velodrome today actually to motor pace Dylan Bibic who first started chasing me on the moto when he was maybe 13). 

Having been named a coach for the upcoming Junior World Track Championships in China, are there any specific moments/highlights from past events that excites you most about this upcoming opportunity? 

Canada has had three different world champions from the last 3 Jr. World Championships (all three are Ontario athletes that have trained with OC/NCIM). These coming championships we have two second year athletes (again, both from Ontario who have trained in our OC/NCIM group) returning after earning bronzed medals last year (Cole Dempster bronze in sprint and Albert Taylor bronze in Team Pursuit). Anika Brants (Ontario) who placed 4th in the Scratch race last year is also returning to track worlds for another chance at a podium. Ontario athletes Larissa Pedersen and Jayden McMullen will also be going along with some strong athletes from BC and Quebec…. lots of potential here. Ashlin Barry who trains with us but will be competing for the US is also someone with the potential to be on the podium. It’s VERY exciting. 

What advice would you give for young athletes in the sport just starting out?  

Give yourself time. Work on the technical aspects of the sport. Learn tactics! (lots of strong people do not know how to win with what they have). Work on your weaknesses (this part is often the least fun). Trust your coaches. Follow THEIR plan. Many people will give you their opinion on what they think you should do with good intentions. If you try to follow multiple plans, then you will get to a point where you won’t know what is working and what is not which is not helpful for you or any coach you will have moving forward. 

What is your hope for the future of cycling?  

I hope that it continues to grow in popularity. A current hurdle that I’m trying to figure out is to get more clubs involved with youth. We also need to figure out how to get more road racing in Ontario (clubs used to do this).