The Hotter ‘n Hell Hundred presents cyclists with a grueling test of both their endurance and their speed. To compete this weekend, one of MSU’s newest cycling team members has had to face her own unique set of challenges, the first of which was jet lag.
Madeleine Steele was a sophomore in architecture at the University of South Australia when she was faced with a hard decision: cycling or academics?
“My coach could see that I was struggling,” Steele said. “I had my major architecture assignment, and I came to training, and it ended with me lying in the fetal position crying because I was so exhausted mentally and physically.”
Steele said her professors back home did not show her any leniency for her busy athletic and academic schedule, a major cultural difference between Australia and the United States.
“Here, sport is a big deal, sport is respected,” Steele said. “You have to go away for race weekend and that’s just how it is, you don’t have to get special permission. Back in Australia, you would be shamed.”
To make matters worse, Steele said the architecture program is one of the most time consuming majors offered at the university.
“Professors and tutors will expect you to spend hours and hours late at night,” Steele said. “If you don’t do an all-nighter it’s like you haven’t tried.”
Now that Steele can devote more energy and time to cycling she said she has been busy preparing not only for Hotter ‘n Hell this weekend, but for the Collegiate Track Nationals in September.
“When I knew I was coming to the States, I asked [coach] Charlie what he wanted me to train for,” Steele said. “He said, ‘track nationals, that’s what we brought you over here for.’”
Steele said she is more concerned with nationals because she is a track sprinter, and therefore not particularly suited for long endurance races like Hotter ‘n Hell, but she is still anxious to compete this weekend.
“I’m definitely most nervous about this weekend,” Steele said. “Just because I don’t know what to expect; I don’t know how I’ll go, and I have no idea what the competition is like.”
Steele said she will compete in the criterium race on Friday, a road race on Saturday and another criterium on Sunday.
“I wouldn’t mind doing well in the crits because a crit is more suited to a sprinter, but still it’s way longer,” Steele said. “It’s a road race, so it’s 30 minutes longer than my normal races.”
Although she will be out of her element in these longer races, Steele said her experience in sprinting will give her an edge if she can keep up with her competitors until the final lap.
“I’m an unknown, so I’ve got a little benefit,” Steele said. “I’m supposed to be a sprinter so if I’m there at the end, they’re going to be looking for me.”
While a strong finish is any competitor’s goal, Steele said finishing the race at all would be a win for her because of her inexperience with longer races.
“If I make it to the end with the pack, or with the second pack or with a bunch of other girls, that will be a win,” Steele said. “If I don’t have to get in the truck and get driven the rest of the way, that is a win.”
Besides having more freedom to pursue her athletic interests, Steele said she also enjoys being a part of campus life at MSU.
“Ninety percent of students would go to university in their hometown because they’re all in the seven or eight major cities in Australia, so campus life doesn’t exist like it does here,” Steele said. “I walked past the football team training and I’m like, ‘go Mustangs!’ so I’m really excited to be involved in that.”
Steele said she eventually plans to return home to finish her degree in architecture, but it won’t be easy for her to leave her new life in the U.S.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to take myself home at the end of the year,” Steele said. “I don’t know if I’ll be getting on the plane to be honest.”
Steele said she will miss cycling, especially after all that she plans to accomplish in the States.
“I know that I’ll be so fit, and my cycling will have come so far by the end of the year.” Steele said, “It’s going to be so hard to go home and not race again.”