STUDENT PROFILES
Alex Cataford Engineering Physics, 2nd year
As an elite athlete, Alex Cataford knows it’s important to balance his studies in engineering physics with his cycling career. It’s difficult to say which occupation he’s more passionate about, but it’s clear he’s equally committed to both. The Ottawa native has been cycling since high school, and his determination and talent has taken him around the world to compete with Canada’s National Junior Cycling team. The awards have stacked up: so far he’s won one Ontario cycling championship and been Junior Canadian National Champion seven times. “For me cycling is a lifestyle, not just a sport,” says Alex. “My teammates are my family.” At Queen’s, Alex is fully engaged in the demanding discipline of engineering physics and says cycling makes him a better student, since engineering requires the same mindset of focus and determination required of top-level cyclists. As an aspiring engineer, Alex understands the physics of cycling and technical aspects of the equipment he relies on for a successful race. Additionally, being so busy with cycling forces him to manage his schedule and to sharpen his time-management skills. Alex has a couple of years to figure out what course his engineering career will take—he’s thinking aircraft engineering, or possibly medicine. His cycling career, however, is in top gear and he expects to be on the road this summer. Travelling is an integral part of world-class cycling, and Alex expects to be visiting cities in the United States and Europe for the next few years at least.
THE COMPLETE ENGINEER
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