Former swimmer Nathan Clement ready to renew Paralympic medal pursuit in road cycling

You never know where life will take you.

Just ask Nathan Clement, a Canadian athlete trying to get back to the Paralympics after transitioning from the pool to the pavement. A former swimmer who competed at the Rio Games in 2016, Clement is now winning medals as a road cyclist on the international stage.

After retiring from swimming in 2018, Clement was ready to leave the world of competitive sports behind him. But his passion for travel ultimately led to a 1,000-kilometre bike trek across his home province during the pandemic, a physical and mental challenge that brought back old feelings.

"As I was going through the ride and the journey, some competitive fires slowly started to emerge in me," Clement told CBC Sports. "Jim Morris [formerly] of CBC Sports actually interviewed me a few days after my bike across B.C., and he asked me if I ever thought about competing again.

Clement said he is feeling rejuvenated in his new sport after rediscovering his love for elite competition. He reached the podium four times during his phenomenal rookie season last year, winning a pair of silver medals in his World Cup debut and at the world championships.

"Just being able to be back in that [competitive] environment again — especially going through the World Cup in Quebec City and then getting to go to Baie-Comeau for world championships — it really re-lit a spark that I thought was extinguished, and it came back in ferocity and force," Clement said.

While Clement's coaches knew the potential was there, becoming a world championship medallist in his first year was something else entirely. Team Canada's lead Para cycling coach Sebastien Travers was amazed by the quick success, which continued this year on the World Cup circuit.

"It was