For many of us, athletic competition is our primary avenue to express and release our inner artistic abilities.

It took the sport of cycling for me to realize athleticism has always been my stage where I can confidently share myself with others.  Prior to becoming a bicycle racer I never envisioned my baseball exploits as an expression of who I am, who I was or who I wanted to be.  Growing up I would tell myself I was not creative because I had no music or artistic talent.  Those doubtful seeds continued to yield a crop of inaction that thankfully bit the dust as I began my adventures on a bicycle. 

To make matters worse, I have always been a quiet person off the field.  It was difficult for me to freely share myself with others as I would hold my emotional cards close to my chest, allowing just a few to peek at the core of who I was.  On the field it was a completely different story as I was not the same person.  I never had trouble expressing my competitiveness verbally or physically.  Just ask any former teammate or coach about the intensity level I displayed in practice and in games, but thankfully I have not carried it over into cycling.  I would bottle up my emotions from life, not knowing how to release it unless I had a bat in my hand or was sitting behind home plate wearing catching gear.  After games I still had more to give but no methodology to let it go, thereby allowing it to hold me hostage.  My ability to impact lives stopped once I left the clubhouse because I was too inexperienced to understand the opportunity before me.

It was after riding and racing for a few years that I began to merge the idea of creativeness with competitive spirit.  I initially struggled with the selfishness within cycling and the lack of teamwork I had been accustomed.  It was very difficult to find my voice to impact those around me as I had in the past.  At the same time I was realizing that leadership on a baseball field is different than what is defined as leadership in cycling.  I was in touch with my competitiveness but out of touch with my expressive voice to reach others.

All this changed in 2003 when I developed the concept of NashvilleCyclist.com.  In 2004 the idea flourished as I began to express my passion for bicycling online.  I developed content and began interacting with the bicycling community on a broader scale, which then led to promoting events and starting a race team.  As the yield from those crops began harvesting I felt as though I had finally found the stage to act out my life’s play.  More importantly I began to realize all those actions were creative and artistic.  I had proved myself wrong, and honestly, is there a better intrinsic feeling than overcoming self-doubt?

Over the last 12 years of my bicycling experience I have lived out some very cool moments, none of which I would have dreamt about 20 years ago.  My bicycle has become the primary tool to express myself while also luring others into my path to share the beautiful experience of life on a bike.  The friendships I have developed through bicycling have been the most rewarding ones of my life.  Within the last few weeks alone I have made new friends, lasting ones I believe, and I get excited knowing the bicycle will offer more new friends later in my life.

While I have accomplished some exciting personal achievements in this sport I derive nearly 100% of my joy from helping others achieve their personal bests.  My role or impact may be big or small, but either way the success of others in cycling brings me an unrivaled level of satisfaction.  To see excitement and exuberance on the face of bicyclists is a joyful thing to witness, and it is what motivates me to keep pushing forward as a coach, racer, promoter and publisher.  I feed off the energy and can feel the wave of momentum produced, and if you time those waves just right they will take you far in this life.  To be sure, none of this is pure luck, but rather hard work and persistence

Finding my voice and methods of impact has not been easy.  I have made some mistakes and learned a lot, but I feel as though I am hitting my stride and prepared to aim for the next level.  It helps tremendously to have had incredible mentors, family and close friends along the way pushing and encouraging me to become my best.  One of my life goals is to make them all proud and not allow their impact on my life go to waste.  Daily I request and look forward to opportunities to gain knowledge and wisdom to pass on to others.  My hope is to influence as many bicyclists as possible to aim high, strive for their personal bests, and for them to enjoy a higher quality of life through their experiences involving a bicycle.  Wow, a bicycle.

What I have witnessed from our bicycling community over this last decade is the overall positive development of abilities, attitudes, expectations and opportunities to showcase our passion.  The bar continues to be raised in all aspects at every level of our sport.  I travel far and wide not only to race in the highest quality events, but also to soak up the experience and take away brilliant ideas to be implemented here at home.  If we shrink our existence to a few city blocks versus that of several time zones then we are isolated from life’s rich pageant of ideas and experiences.

The purpose of this message is to help you see the opportunity before you.  It is not enough to simply be in the moment exercising your freedoms.  Be aware of the stage and your existence in front of the crowd.  Study your lines, be ready for your cue, and when the Director says “action” – go hit your mark.

Your athleticism is your voice.  Your athleticism is your expression of who you are.  Your athleticism can be the pathway to showcase your heart. 

Hop on your bike.  Let it all go.  Open up.  Express yourself.  Smile.