Enjoying the ride

For senior Charlie Seymour, riding bikes isn’t just something he does casually with friends or family –  it’s something that has been a big part of his life for around six-years. “It’s a really great opportunity to be stress-free. It’s fun and it’s a lot of hard work but overall I love it,” said Charlie Seymour, an avid mountain biker.

Ever since cycling entered Seymour’s life, he loved it; however, at the age of 12, he decided that he wanted to get serious and work towards a larger goal: Nationals. This summer, Seymour plans to attend nationals in Virginia in hopes of gaining experience and to place high among his peers. The Regular Mountain Bike Nationals is on June 17th and the College Mountain Bike Nationals is October 19th and Seymour has been practicing every day as much as he can.

He prepares with the help of his two coaches: Jason Hess, who help with writing his training programs, and Terry Ritter which is his on bike and skills race coach. “I’ve witnessed Charlie helping other riders out, and he passes on advice I have given to him,” said Hess. “I can see him giving advice and supporting many other bikers in the future.”

Seymour’s coaches have spent many hours coaching him and he acknowledges and appreciates their constant dedication everyday. “I don’t even know what I would do without them,”  Seymour remarked. “They’ve both helped me out so much. It’s unreal and I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done.”

Seymour has been a part of a junior devo cycling team called ‘Athletic Mentors’ for a little over two years and has built friendships that he thinks will last a lifetime.

“He is a quick learner and takes instructions very well; it’s a tough sport and he’s going against kids that are also talented, considering all he has done. He’s progressed very nicely,” said Hess.

Seymour has been in many cycling events including the Michigan  State Championships and even out of state races (Wisconsin).

“It’s really enjoyable and a major stress reliever it’s fun to go fast, but not so fast where I crash,” he joked.

Overall, he has been a part of the team that won state championship in 2015; he personally won the state championship in 2017 and currently has six wins and seven podiums (second – fifth place) within a one-year period. His family and coaches have supported him throughout his entire mountain biking career.

Although Seymour constantly goes against tough competition, he continues to prevail throughout every trial and tribulation with the help of his amazing sponsors. He couldn’t do it without any of them and appreciates the constant support of: Kinetic Fitness Coaching, Cycle Therapy Bike Shop, Giant Bikes, Sock Guy Socks, Infinite Nutrition and finally, ESI Grips.

Since he’s been on the ‘Athletic Mentors” team Seymour has built strong friendships with both the coaches and his fellow teammates. Being a leader requires dedication, good communication, and accountability, all of which are qualities that Seymour has in his possession.

“Charlie is very inspiring and he helps out everyone in any way that he can,” said Kellen Caldwell, a junior teammate, “He’s a great friend and teammate to have.”

Seymour has had major success in his somewhat short amount of time cycling;  he has recently been offered a partial scholarship at Belmont Abbey University in North Carolina.

As of right now, Seymour is undecided on what he wants to do; prior to the offer he received he said, “There are some colleges for it, but I’m not completely interested, it’s  more of just something that helps me relax and have a good time.”

Now that a partial scholarship is on the table, Seymour might change his mind; only time will tell. “It’s definitely intense and every day I work harder to get better, but I do it because I love it, not because I want to be the best,” Seymour exclaimed.