With cement in his leg, Ollie is ready for Virtus Global Games 

Ollie Hutchison has had his fair share of setbacks already in his short life, but that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his love of cycling – especially when it means riding fast.

The 15-year-old from Brisbane is gearing up to represent Australia in road and track cycling at the Virtus Global Games - the world’s largest elite sports event for athletes with an intellectual impairment - in Vichy, France in just over a month.

For the avid cyclist, it’s another chance to do what he loves – ride his bike as fast as he can, and maybe even a step closer to his dream of representing Australia at the Olympics one day.

Ollie earlier this year raced in the Rocky Cup on Wheels. 

But when Ollie was born, there was a very real possibility he might not have even been able to ride a bike.

When he was six weeks old, Ollie was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma - an eye cancer that begins in the retina.

He was on chemotherapy for the first two years of his life and underwent about 100 operations during that time.

Since then, he has undergone regular testing and scanning with full body scans starting when he was 10. 

“It was a very tough time for us all as there was so much unknown and he was very unwell for a very long time,” his father Scott said.

“He also has a 13Q deletion which is what caused the Retinoblastoma.  As a result of this he also has an intellectual disability, which means he will likely need life-long support with general life management activities.”

But none of this has held back the young rider, who started riding with his dad when he was nine.

“It's funny, it's one of those things that you wonder whether as a parent it's just my interest. But there's genuine love of cycling in his body, which is in my head as well,” Scott said of Ollie’s joy for cycling.

Currently, Ollie and Scott ride together three to four times a week around his hometown of Brisbane as well as at the velodrome.

“I don't slow down for him anymore - he keeps up with me fine and rides very well considering.  We did Mt Wellington in Tassie together a few weeks back and although that was a long climb he made it. We typically do a boy’s trip once or twice a year where we go somewhere for three days of riding.”

Scott and Ollie Hutchison at the top of Mt Wellington, Tasmania.

A partnership between AusCycling and Sport Inclusion Australia gives cyclists with an intellectual impairment an opportunity to compete in AusCycling events, and it was here that Ollie was first identified and selected to represent Australia at the Virtus Oceania Asia Games in Brisbane last year.

Ollie also races for Lifecycle Cycling Club, as they specialise in being an all-inclusive club, he is part of the AusCycling Jets junior development program, and races the Anna Meares Velodrome Track events in juniors.

Although he is in good health now, Ollie is at high risk for bone cancer and six months ago a routine scan showed a new tumour on his knee.

Further tests revealed the tumour was benign and thankfully no chemo was required.

However, he had to have yet another operation to remove the tumour and the hole was filled with cement.

“He thinks cement in his leg is pretty funny,” his mum Georgia wrote on Facebook at the time.

He is fully recovered from his surgery in January and has had three scans since then and no new tumours, with all roads leading to Vichy, France.

Australia is expected to have 121 athletes represented at the Games across 10 sports.

The Virtus Global Games will be held in Vichy, France from June 4-10.