Where are they now: Former Olympian chasing new interests instead of wheels

Now the retired professional cyclist and accountant is doing a new kind of chasing.

The 57-year-old Bushfield resident, who sold his accounting firm when he retired, is now on the search for the "best coconut trees in the world".

"I was working six to seven days a week and then when I retired I did a few things around the house to win some brownie points back," he said of what he has been doing in recent years.

"Then we (he and wife Debbie) have spent the good part of the last couple of years searching for the best coconuts on trees around the world.

"We have spent most of our time in south-east Asia. The last 12 months we haven't as I had a stroke in October and then all the isolation stopped us from travelling anywhere."

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Travelling has always been a keen interest for the Lynch family.

"It's something, when the kids (Declan and Madeline) were growing up, that I made sure it was one thing they got to do," he said.

"It didn't matter if it was school holidays or another time during the year we would pull them out and go to Thailand or Vietnam or somewhere near there and it was where they learnt things they wouldn't learn just sitting in the school yard.

"We just do a bit more now than we used to. My best mate has been in Malaysia for 25 years now and we make that a base and float in and out of there.

"We may catch up with him when we are there or we use his apartment when he isn't there to stay in and do our own thing and then wander back."

During his cycling career Lynch was also no stranger to travelling.

He had stints racing across Australia chasing Olympic and Commonwealth games success before turning pro and chasing glory on the European stage.

"That (racing in Europe) was a great experience and it was with no social media so if you had a good performance you would cut a bit out of the paper and send it back to mum and dad and you hardly made a phone call as it was that expensive," he recalls.

"All that sort of stuff made you feel a little isolated but after returning a few times you end up going with people you know and it becomes easier.

"We rode some of the greatest amateur tours in 1984 through Holland, East Germany and in America and doing all the races we read about in magazines."

By the time the curtains closed on his career he had been to the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games, winning a silver medal in the team time trial, and the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles for the road race.

Then with the Repco Cycling Team he also scored success domestically, including winning his hometown race - the Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic - in 1986.

Not long after he finished his professional cycling career and following a few close calls on south-west roads and the death of a friend, Lynch also hung up his own bike for good.

"When I retired at the end of 1988 I went back to university and moved to Melbourne and when I moved back to Warrnambool I used to ride a little bit but I haven't ridden for 10 to 11 years," he said.

"I went out with a couple of riders one Sunday and then they went on the next Wednesday and another fella didn't come home.

"That was a bit of a wake up call as you realise you don't know if are coming home as it's a lot more dangerous on the roads now.

"To an extent I miss it but at the end of the day you are avoiding getting cleaned up. Compared to riding back in the 1980s it is like playing Russian roulette for when a car does hit you at 100kmh."

Lynch, even though he doesn't hit the roads anymore, is still a big fan of the sport.

He says, with a laugh, during July if you drive past his property and see his loungeroom light on at 1am he is most likely watching the Tour de France.

You will also find him heading onto Raglan Parade to watch the final stages of a race that he has a proud and successful history with.

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Besides the finish of the 'Warrny' you can also find Lynch cheering on his North Warrnambool Eagles every Saturday in the Hampden league.

He has been a long-serving member of the club's committee and returned to it for season 2020, which has been in limbo due to coronavirus since the end of March.

Lynch's dedication to the Eagles was born from the support they gave his son Declan during a difficult period.

The father-of-two was suspended from attending matches for 12 months after an incident from when he was goal umpire at a junior match.

"My young bloke kept playing when I wasn't allowed to go due to my suspension and they did an absolute sensational job of looking after him and my wife," he said.

"So when it ended, I thought to myself I better give back to the club and I ended up being on the committee eight or nine years and was treasurer for a while."

Lynch admits planning his holidays have become a difficult balancing task.

"It has been fun (travelling) but one of the things when we go away in winter is I also miss some footy on Saturdays," he said.

"It's the one thing I love as much as travelling. As much as you love and want to go away and miss a little bit of winter you also miss the footy."

Lynch, who is eager to see his Eagles lift a Hampden league premiership, is still hopeful a season will go ahead in 2020.

But he, like a number of others around the region, has conceded the need for crowds at community football and netball will help the return be viable for clubs.

For now Lynch will just sit and wait for his next overseas adventure for coconut trees and for the next time he gets to see his Eagles play a match.

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