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Medical disclaimer: This article is for education only and is not medical advice. Always consult your clinician for personal guidance.
We all aspire to be winners, but what does it truly mean to be a winner? It’s often defined as someone who places first in a race or excels in a competition. However, winning can encompass much more than that.
After a week of racing at the Masters National Championships in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I believe I emerged as a winner with finishes of 2nd, 14th, and 5th place in various events organized by USA Cycling.
Eleven years after being diagnosed with severe heart disease, I successfully reversed my condition using proven scientific methods. I lowered my LDL cholesterol to 20 mg/dL and adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet. Since then, I have steadily improved and even set a world record in 2023. Following major reconstructive foot surgery, I took a year off to recover.
Getting back into shape was a struggle, but after four months of dedicated training on the bike, I was ready to prove myself. Arriving just three days before my first competition, I was extremely anxious about the criterium race—a race characterized by numerous turns and a short course within a city block, presenting plenty of opportunities for crashes. In the end, I managed to survive the race and finished 14th out of 50 participants.
Next was the time trial, a precise 10-mile race where the fastest rider wins. I faced significant challenges with controlling my nerves before and during the race. The temperature soared to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the pressure I placed on myself was draining. I completed the race with a power output over 30 watts lower—about 10% below my expectations. When I crossed the finish line, I hoped for a top-10 result. To my surprise, I secured 2nd place, finishing only seven seconds behind the winner, a multiple world champion and the victor of the previous day’s criterium. Additionally, I finished just 0.48 seconds ahead of last year’s national champion in 3rd place. More importantly, this was the first year I experienced zero ischemia while riding hard.
I have been training and racing with younger competitors in Memphis, Tennessee, ranging from professionals to Category 3 riders. Not only have I been able to keep up with them, but I’ve even excelled in hilltop sprints, finishing as high as 2nd in some practice races. This was excellent training for the road race at nationals, which followed the time trial.
The road race was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. A small breakaway group managed to escape with five miles to go, but we caught them within the last 10 seconds. During the third and fourth laps of the five-lap race, I launched a chase and pushed myself to the limit for the final four miles. I was joined by Larry Nolan, a multiple world champion and the winner of the previous two races. Together, we exerted considerable effort, along with another rider, and ultimately caught the breakaway group within 200 meters of the finish line. I managed to pass several members of the breakaway and secured 5th place. This was incredibly satisfying and marked my second podium finish in eight years.
In conclusion, maintaining a healthy diet, having my foot properly treated, and benefiting from a whole-food, plant-based diet significantly improved my performance as an athlete. Some photos show me racing competitively against the current national champion, Joseph Foster, who finished 3rd in the time trial.
Lastly, I want to emphasize that those of us aged 65 and older may be perceived as older but are certainly not slow. We averaged over 26 miles per hour on a challenging, hilly, and windy race course during the last two laps—each lap spanning 10 miles. It was a demanding and intense race.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this journey possible!