Stephen Bate

Bate was introduced to the ideas of para-cycling by friend and Great Britain team member Karen Darke; both of whom have conquered El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Bate has climbed the rock face 3 times including a solo ascent of Zodiac, becoming the first visually impaired person to achieve this.[2] In 2013 he was accepted onto British Cycling’s Paralympic Development Programme and, was teamed up with sight piloted Adam Duggleby. In December 2014, after became the British road and time trial national champion, Bate was advanced from the development programme to the Paralympic Podium Programme, for athletes who British Cycling believe have medal potential at Paralympic level. The next year he made his World Championship debut, competing at the 2015 Championships in Apeldoorn.[2]

In 2015 Bate and Duggleby won their first World Cup medals together. At Maniago in Italy they took silver in the road race and a bronze in the time trial; and followed this with a gold medal in the time trial at the Pietermaritzburg World Cup in South Africa.[2] In July 2016, Bate was named in the Great Britain team to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio.

Bate was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to cycling.[5][6]

Bate was born (in 1977) and brought up in New Zealand before moving to Moray in Scotland in adulthood.[1] He has Retinitis Pigmentosa which has left him with a 10% field of vision.[2]