Thomas Quarterly’s dream of representing Bermuda on the international cycling scene hit a stumbling block when he had type 1 diabetes diagnosed six years ago.

However, the Olympic hopeful is determined not to let the autoimmune disease get in the way of his goals and has made the necessary adjustments since to continue making steady strides in the sport.

“I was diagnosed with diabetes about a year into cycling and one of the first things I did was get straight back on my bike,” Quarterly, 20, told The Royal Gazette.

“A couple of years ago, I was having quite a lot of difficulty with managing it and being able to perform. But as I’ve gotten older, with lots of practice and hard work I’ve been able to nail it down, keep it where I need to be to perform and get in the training I need.

“It doesn’t restrict me but just makes what I am pursuing in cycling much more difficult.”

Quarterly has some huge ambitions in the sport and his positive mental attitude means you would not bet against him meeting his goals.

“I’ve learnt I can achieve just as many things as anyone else,” Quarterly said.

“The goal is to make it pro, pursue Olympics, Commonwealth Games and do it with diabetes to inspire youth and really show that you can achieve great things despite having what some people might view as a setback or challenge.”

The 20-year-old is on cloud nine after producing his best finish of fourth in the National Road Race Championships last week among a stellar field featuring professionals Kaden Hopkins, Nicholas Narraway and eventual winner Conor White.

“Even though it wasn’t first place, it felt like I won,” Quarterly said.

“I was very excited and when I crossed the line it felt amazing. I had pretty good legs on the day and was able to push really hard to keep up with Kaden, Conor and Nic. It was definitely a good performance and a massive step up.

“I have been racing in Canada recently and had some solid finishes, but I’ve never had this good of a finish against this high level of competition.”

Quarterly’s day did not go smoothly as he was stricken with leg cramps during the 60-mile race.

“It was a tough last lap,” he said. “We went up Blue Hole Hill and I got some cramps in my legs, so when they attacked I dropped back because my legs were cramped.

“We went around and I just put my head down and pushed as hard as I could and managed to catch up two kilometres from the finish and then everyone slowed down to get ready for the sprint.”

Quarterly remained among the lead group of four riders as they made a dash for the finish line at Clearwater Beach in St David’s but ultimately came up just shy of the podium.

“The tension was very high and we were all waiting to see who was going to jump, and I was ready and excited to see if I could even sprint up with those guys,” he said.

“They got going and at that point I was completely drained, so I was just happy to roll in fourth.”

Quarterly has also made steady strides in his debut season with Toronto-based amateur team Wheels of Bloor.

“It’s going good and they treat me really well,” he said.

“I’m the only young guy on the team, so it’s really awesome to get to learn from the older guys who have lots of success racing in Ontario, and I feel like it’s a really good stepping stone moving forward.

“It was quite a shock at first. The racing is so much faster and it’s a lot more people, so it’s a lot more close knit and having to jostle for position. It’s a lot more aggressive.”

Bermuda Bicycle Association president Peter Dunne has been impressed with Quarterly and his dedication to the sport.

“We have seen Thomas struggle to adjust to being diabetic and working to be the best cyclist that he can,” Dunne said.

“The last year he has really focused on how to make this work, and his performance at the road race championships was very impressive. We are now looking forward to where he can take this and expect that there is much more progress that can be made.”