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Ancaster’s Carson Mattern helps Canada claim cycling gold at Pan American Games 2023

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Winning gold for your country is a dream most athletes have. For Ancaster 19-year-old, Carson Mattern, it is just the beginning.

Mattern and Team Canada took home the gold at the Pan Am Games in Chile this year.

It was Mattern’s first appearance at the level of this magnitude.

“For a long time, it felt like this far-off dream and then slowly as you get closer and closer, it becomes less of a dream and more of a goal. Now to be in the home stretch where I have the opportunity to close down the Olympic dream, you know, making sure it happens in the next few months is really critical,” Mattern says.

Qualifying for the Olympics is next on the list for the almost 20-year-old.

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While Mattern said there are so many important factors in cycling, he says the community aspect is the most important part of the sport.

For those looking to get into any sport, Mattern has an important message, “just don’t stop believing. For me, it was just having this vision, and not letting anyone tell me that it couldn’t happen.”