From Taneytown to Shanghai, Syd Lea keeps on pedaling

Kelsey Volkmann, The Examiner

(See Syd on the front page of the Examiner)

BALTIMORE - The sun’s not up yet when Syd Lea rolls his bike down the driveway of his Taneytown home. Starting on a road with no name, he jumps on his Fuji and pedals his way toward work at Mount St. Mary’s University. An hour and 15 miles later, he arrives, not at all winded, in Emmitsburg, where he will plant flowers in the Catholic school’s gardens.

It’s an ordinary daily commute for an extraordinary man who makes everyone around him marvel.

The 22-year-old groundskeeper not only loves riding, but is also among the fastest in the world.

Lea won two gold medals and a silver medal last week at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China, beating 185 cyclists from 32 countries.

In the 15K road race, he placed first with a time of 27:46.38, and he was first in the 40K road race in 01:15:51.98. In the 25K race, he placed second in 46:24.86

“I’ve been riding all my life,” Lea said. “I was happy to win.”

Lea, who suffered brain damage because of a lack of oxygen when he was born, comes from a family of champion cyclists. His parents, Tracy and Robert, met at a race in New England and have competed for years. As Lea struck gold in China, his older brother, Bobby, 23, won the Elite Track Nationals in California, the first step toward earning a spot on an Olympic team.

Tracy Lea calls cycling a great way to stay in shape and travel the world. The family has visited Ireland, Poland, Ukraine and other countries to compete.

But riding is especially beneficial for her son, who talks on the phone with cycling friends, she said.

“Cycling helps him with independence and job opportunity, because there is no public transportation here,” she said.

“He wouldn’t be able to get to work otherwise.”

Colleagues and bosses praise Syd Lea.

“We are so proud of Syd and congratulate his victories in making the U.S. team and, of course, bringing home medals from China,” said university President Thomas Powell. “The Mount is blessed to have Syd as part of our team and community.”