How a ‘social contract’ put the X-factor in Oli Moran’s BMX

Athens gold medallist Bradley McGee – the New South Wales Institute of Sport High Performance Coach Advisor – said mentoring the emerging BMX juggernaut, Oliver ‘Oli’ Moran, was succeeding because of a ‘social contract’ between the pair.

McGee, who is Australia’s most successful male Olympic cyclist with a gold, silver and three bronze medals, said he felt “lucky” to have been paired with the 21 year old from Forster on the NSW north coast through a (Teir One) scholarship the Sport Australia Hall of Fame provided in 2021.

The scholarship was meant to last for only a year, but as a result of the bond that’s been forged between the pair, they’ve remained in contact to discuss the BMX rider’s career and personal development.

Indeed, after a string of good results, McGee said Moran – who is also a NSWIS scholarship athlete – should be attacking each training session as if it was his next step to competing at next year’s Paris Olympic Games.

“Oli is right in that sweet spot where everything is starting to come together for him,” said McGee, who is the only Australian to have worn the yellow jersey for the Tours of France, Italy and Spain.

“He’s a younger athlete and establishing himself among the elites, but that hope – Paris – is a realistic one, and Oli should be getting out of bed every morning with vigour and belief.”

McGee, who believes a good mentor doesn’t just share their riches to their mentee, but they reveal to them their own, said he was also learning a lot through the relationship.

“There’s a mutual benefit in mentorship,” he said. “I have come the full circle on my ideas on mentorship because of my experience with Oli.

“Two things have really helped. The first is the guidelines and support from the [Sport Australia Hall of Fame] foundation to set up this relationship.

“The second is we’re both equally committed to this relationship, and we’re encouraged to set up things like what are the boundaries: what does Oli want, and what am I willing to give? I call it a social contract.

“There’s a saying that you don’t know anything until you can teach it, and I guess my mentorship style is teaching, sharing my experiences, and just trying to help Oli grow his perspective on different scenarios he’s having.”

McGee has also been providing “nuts and bolts” information that has helped Moran find his feet when he’s based overseas.

“Oli needed to know how to set up in Europe as a young athlete,” he said. “He knew I had the practical skills to help him because I lived in France for 15 years. And, at the time. it was tough because COVID had kicked in and there was no travel.

“Essentially my message to him was to build you network, work your network, understand that people are busy and just because you might not hear from them straight away it doesn’t mean they’re not engaged – it just means you need to drive it.

“My advice to Oli and other athletes is once you’re out of your environment, embrace it. When I met up with Oli the other day it was pleasing to hear that his French has come a long way. It showed he’d really absorbed my messaging – he’s basically living and breathing it.

“I’m so proud to see that he’s progressing. For a young athlete to have such a high level of awareness and that comes through his ability to self-reflect at a very high level. Indeed, it’s thanks to Oli one of my biggest learnings through our relationship is [realizing] old age isn’t the only way to accumulate knowledge.

“Courage is another path.”

Daniel Lane, NSWIS