National cyclist ready for International return

Top national and Caribbean female cyclist, Tamiko Butler, believes that despite still having to manage a spinal injury, she is ready and capable of competing on the international scene once more.
The rider, while speaking on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show, said recent tests have all shown positive results.
“Up to late last year I was able to get up to what was, on paper, physically my best shape in terms of my power testing, lactate testing, all of my testing came back to show that I was at my strongest so I believe I found a way to manage it,” she said.
“I am not going to lie that I am riding pain-free because I still suffer from some pain. It still takes some extra physiotherapy and certain things that I have to maintain in the gym in order to keep the injury sustained but I believe I’ve found a way to manage it in a way that I can compete at the highest level again,” she added.
In 2016, Butler was forced to pull out of the August 5 to 21 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro because of the injury. It was also in January of that same year that she was announced as the newest member of the Drops professional cycling team based in the United Kingdom.
According to the cyclist, it has not been an easy journey following her injury.
“I ended up having to pull out from my professional team and professional career due to a spinal injury and of course, surgery that goes with the spine you have to be extremely careful with the treatment options. I had a few people who were pushing me to do surgery but at my age I felt that the better way to do it was to try and come back with physical therapy with re-strengthening my body so I didn’t have to undergo the risks of spinal surgery,” the Antiguan said.
Forced out of last year’s Caribbean Road Championships held in Martinique after her chain snapped within the first 30 seconds of the event, Butler believes the future is bright.
“I am in Antigua at the moment because I am actually working with an Antiguan company at the moment that I can actually work remotely around the world so I’ve managed to get myself into a good position with a job that I can train the way that I need to now,” she said.
“One of my first things is to try and see what funding is available because especially with the management programme I have to maintain my injury and keep it at bay, look at what funding may or may not be available either through government or through the federation or the Olympic committee,” the cyclist added.
Butler also recently spent some time riding on the velodrome track in Trinidad where she captured two Caribbean Championships medals in September of last year.
The athlete is not attending the ongoing Central American & Caribbean (CAC) being held in Colombia after revealing she received confirmation of her qualification mere weeks before the start of the games.