There are many Yukoners preparing to take their athletic talents outside of the territory in the next month, and for Michael McCann, its a trip he's made a few times before.

The 62-year-old is getting ready for the World Senior Games – his eighth appearance at the event that is being held in Saint George, Utah on Oct. 6 to 9.

Ten thousand competitors are expected to ascend on Saint George. They range from those just wanting to challenge themselves to former Olympic athletes.

About 300 cyclists from North America, Mexico and Europe will be up against McCann in his events.

The field is split up into three different divisions and age groups in five year segments starting at age 50.

Division I is the highest rank, reserved for licensed riders. McCann will be riding in the 60-64 class division I.

McCann has been cycling competitively for about 12 years.

"I come from a running and (cross country) skiing background but had to give up running because of injuries,” he said.

At the World Senior Games, McCann will be competing in a five kilometre hill climb, a 40-km time trial, criterium and a 62-km road race.

A criterium is an event in which the cyclists ride for about 40 minutes on a short city street track that is closed to traffic. In Utah the track distance is 1.6 km.

"The focus is on high speed cornering and sprinting in this event, which makes it exciting for spectators and a bit nerve racking for the riders as crashes can be common,” said McCann.

At the end of about 40 minutes, the riders are told they have two laps left, which sets the racers into a fury to get to the finish line first.

"Once we hit close to that time crossing the start-finish line they will say we have two laps to go and then all heck breaks loose,” said McCann.

McCann has no expectations for the games; if his previous wins can be any indication though, he has a good chance of not coming home empty handed.

"All you can ever hope for is to perform as well as you are capable,” he said.

Two of the events McCann will be competing in, the hill climb and the time trial, will be timed, and the athletes will have to try to race as fast as they can.

"Therefore it is just you and the ticking second and minute hand and you have no influence over how well your fellow competitors ride,” he said. "You have to focus solely on your effort.”

For the other two events, McCann will be up against tough competitors.

"In the road race and criterium tactics play a huge part and a weaker ride can win simply by riding smarter,” said McCann.

During training McCann's focus has been the time trial and hill climb.

"Those two are the ones I have been specifically training for,” said McCann.

After that event he'll take the next two as they come, and tackle the criterium to the best of his ability.

"The criterium I'll ride to survive,” he said.

Survival is right – with national and state champions heading to join him at the World Senior Games – McCann will have stiff competition.

"I have found in the past that it has been harder than the Canadian Championships,” he said.

While he finds the competitors tough, McCann says one of the best things about competing is the people.

"What I enjoy most about competing against other master athletes (and) cyclists is that to a person (with very few exceptions) they are all fine people who are there to challenge themselves - enjoy the experience and are willing to share what they have and help in any way possible a fellow competitor,” said McCann.

This year McCann won the British Columbia Time Trial Championships in his age group, 60 plus, and the Mt. Seymour hill climb.

In 2005 he medalled in the time trial at the Canadian Championships in the men's 50 to 59 age group and in 2007 he won the overall at the World Senior Championships in the 55-59 Division I group.

With all these achievements in cycling and other events, McCann's proudest achievement isn't exactly a sport but an everyday occurence – "getting out of bed in the morning,” he said.

With all jokes aside, McCann says he competed in the first Canada Summer Games in 1969 held in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he won the 1,500 metre race.

"I have held various age group track records back in the 60s,” said McCann. "The point is that I have been competing (and) challenging myself most of my life and have a belief that the pursuit of athletic excellence is not defined by age - it is not something you grow out of, like adolescence.

"In fact I think the older athlete has a finer appreciation for ‘that moment' when everything seems to work - when it all comes together in one controlled explosion of mind-body energy.”