Brad Huff: From Cheerleader to World Championship Medalist

Charles Bradley Huff recently won America's first track cycling World Championship medal in 9 years. Not bad for a kid from tiny Fair Grove, MO. Not bad for a kid who could never make his high school baseball team, nor his college track team. Instead, he became a collegiate cheerleader and finally got a road bike, after riding mountain bikes. At 28, Brad is coming into his own as an elite athlete. And all this after a long battle with anorexia.

Check out Brad's blog and his bio--these pictures are from there. You can read about his journey into cycling, puberty and his battle with disordered eating. Check out his race resume. No magic; just hard work, one race at a time.

Parents, take heed. Not all elite athletes are born with their respective sport ability oozing out of their pores at the tender age of 10. Not all have a team of personal coaches or personal trainers. High school or age-group athletic success or lack-thereof does not always predict adult athletic ability. Many successful elite athletes journey through a myriad of sports before they find their mojo.

I don't know Brad personally. I've watched him race in person. Had my butt handed to me by his girlfriend back when she was a lowly Cat 4. But his story is an inspiration to all of us familiar with US and Missouri cycling. Just a real guy, a passionate competitor and clean athlete, who is finding his own on the elite road and the track, after a long and winding road through amateur sport. GO HUFFY GO!

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