PROFESSIONAL BICYCLE MECHANICS ASSOCIATION
Picture
  • PBMA Home
    • PBMA Board of Directors
    • Newsletter Archive
    • FAQ
  • PBMA Mechanic Certification
  • PBMA RESOURCES
    • PBMA Job Board
    • PBMA Surveys
    • PBMA Tech Resource
    • PBMA Library
    • Blog
    • Pro Mechanic Life
  • PBMA Membership
    • PBMA Members Area
    • Corporate Memberships

11/21/2016

A Better Olympics

Read Now
 
Picture
Everyone watches NBC and the Olympics for almost 3 weeks or however long it takes from opening bell to final round. What you don't see is that a few weeks later the Para-Olympics occurs and just like the "big show" this is a international competition with the same, if not more merit. It's full of unsung hero's and forgotten athletes. On each side of that fence they are giving equal if not more than the ones everyone sees on TV. Our story here is about cycling of course and the 4 gentleman (loosely used term) who made it happen.

I consider myself lucky because I know three of these individual personally and I know a handful of the athletes who were representing the United States. Mechanics don't go home with medals, we go home with some new shirts, shoes, pants and jackets. We go home with pride. We go home with a sense of accomplishment that our athlete(s) succeeded and our work, our work ethic and our expertise helped them to get there.

For the 2016 Para-Olympics in Rio Team USA was supported by Chad Contreras, Steve Donovan, Tony Pedeferri and Vincent Gee. What brings a team together is a common goal. In this case supporting athletes at the highest of levels. Olympic sport is second to none. Four guys who sometimes see one another throughout the year and sometimes don't.

Each of the four have different day to day backgrounds. Chad is the face of SRAM NRS in California, Steve a bike shop mechanic in Denver, Tony owns a shop that does custom fabrications for Para-Athletes and Vincent is a race mechanic with a storied career.

Tony in fact was a Para-Olympian himself representing the USA in the 2012 games in London. His first hand knowledge is critical to success working as team. Chad has a memory like an elephant which makes logistics and daily organization a breeze. Steve is simply great at solving problems. Vincent rolls into the group as the worker bee. Experienced in all disciplines of cycling he helps with all the mechanical tasks.

Para-Olympics by the numbers:
Days on the ground: 20 in Rio (12 addition days at a pre-Olympic camp)
Athletes: 22 (plus two tandem pilots)
Cycles: 34 (10 road bikes, 11 track bikes, 2 trikes, 8 hand cycles, 3 tandems)
Wheels: 108 pair (56 team race wheel sets, 52 personal wheel sets)
Races: 53
Medals: 18

These guys as a team deserve a gold medal. The unsung heros of cycling as a competitive sport. We work before and after the race, we work in the dark. We work in our rooms. We work behind the scenes. I always through the best way to know if you are a good mechanic - is that nobody ever even knows you've been there.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Share

Jessie Rollick link
11/29/2016 08:54:08 am

Thank you for all your hard work on behalf of the Paralympic Cyclists. You are an encouragement and inspiration. Thank you for setting such a wonderful example of selflessness and dedication to excellence for our athletes and those who follow them. God bless you all!

Ted Lapis
12/2/2016 03:48:31 pm

The rest of the world watched the Paralympic contests with much more enthusiasm. The US audience wants to be fed glamorous gladiators. True grit doesn't play as well in Toledo, as it does in Paris or Geneva.


Comments are closed.
Details

    Collective Works

    This page is a collective of articles relavant to consumers, enthusiasts and the whole of the cycling industry in general. 

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Interviews
    Life On The Road
    Mechanic Monday
    Mechanic Of The Week
    PBMA News
    Spotlight

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

proudly supporting the mission:

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Found an issue with our site? Report it by clicking here
© 2022 Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association
  • PBMA Home
    • PBMA Board of Directors
    • Newsletter Archive
    • FAQ
  • PBMA Mechanic Certification
  • PBMA RESOURCES
    • PBMA Job Board
    • PBMA Surveys
    • PBMA Tech Resource
    • PBMA Library
    • Blog
    • Pro Mechanic Life
  • PBMA Membership
    • PBMA Members Area
    • Corporate Memberships