Two-time Olympian from Ogre now focuses on coaching young cyclists

Agnese Pastare, a two-time Olympian and Latvia's record holder in race walking who hails from Ogre, has been increasingly devoting her time to coaching young athletes. She currently helps train mountain bikers from the KS sports club, which was the main reason she took part in the anniversary Ikšķile MTB cycling race.

To be able to follow her trainees along the course, Pastare chose to compete in the recreational, or family, distance category. She noted this was her first time actually competing in this particular race — previously she had only attended as a supporter. Since the result was not her main concern, winning the category came as a surprise to her. What brought her the most joy was watching her young trainees compete with enthusiasm, several of whom won their respective age groups.

Endurance background beyond race walking

While cycling has always been more of a hobby for Pastare than a primary discipline, she says the fitness base built during her professional career gives her confidence in other endurance sports as well. Besides race walking, she has long had an interest in long-distance running and cycling, having even taken part in a 24-hour mountain bike race.

Path to the Olympics

Pastare started in sports back in primary school, and strong results at the junior level during her high school years opened the way to the Latvian national team and international competition. Coach Georgs Gutpelcs played a significant role in her development, and under his guidance she decided to dedicate all her time to sport — a commitment that eventually led to participation in two Olympic Games.

A shift in priorities

Sport now plays a different role in Pastare's life. Competing is no longer her priority, though her drive to stay active and test herself across disciplines remains. She still takes part in events such as the Stirnu buks race. At the same time, she is dedicating a growing share of her time to working with young athletes. According to Pastare, one of her main goals now is to help her trainees eventually surpass her own achievements, which she considers one of the greatest sources of satisfaction a coach can have.