Seven Team Dayton-Merrill Lynch (male team) and three Team Secret Cycling (female) team members plan to participate in the June 25-26 Ohio Senior Olympic Games in Canton/Alliance.
The 2013 National Senior Olympic Games will be the first to take place in Ohio. Cleveland will host the July 24-28 event. Thirteen male and four female Team Dayton members plan to compete in Cleveland. They qualified by being among the top four finishers in their age groups during the Ohio Senior Olympics which took place last summer.
The dean of Team Dayton-Merrill Lynch is Chuck Winkelman of Springfield. Chuck has been riding a bicycle for 70 of his 75 years, and has been racing since age 11. His first race was the Tour of Kettering, and he has never stopped racing for very long since, despite injuries.
When asked if he expects to win a medal in the National Senior Olympics, Winkelman laughed and said, “No. I anticipate seeing faster people. While I am still competitive, it is good to know there are other people out there, even at my age, who are faster! It is amazing how many people have good health at my age!”
Winkelman emphasized that it is important for cyclists to stretch. He said he is stretching now, and trying to build up his hamstrings, which are weaker than his quadriceps. He said cycling for many years has elongated his hamstrings, but stretching can correct this. He also lifts weights and does core training.
Winkelman has seen Team Dayton grow from a relatively small group in 2000 to one of the largest bicycle racing clubs in the midwest, and the 2012 USA Cycling Club of the Year.
Susie Todd of Kettering is the senior member of Team Secret Cycling. Now 72, she has been riding a bicycle since age seven. Her enthusiasm for cycling is easy to see. While she sees a good chance for other Team Dayton members to medal in the National Senior Olympic Games, she modestly makes light of her chances. When asked if she thinks she will medal, she said, “Realistically no, but I will try my best to place.”
Todd added, “The National Senior Olympics are really tough. Some of these competitors race and ride year round. As Ohioans, we have more challenges to training.”
Guy and Cindy Smallwood of Centerville are one of two couples who plan to compete in Cleveland.
The Smallwoods met while competing in triathlons. During the last four years, they have focused on bicycle racing. They enjoy training together. Cindy said, “Of course, having a shared activity with a spouse is always a plus. We help motivate each other and it’s fun to train and race together. One minus is when you don’t feel like training; you have to face your team mate at home! Also, despite all of our best efforts, our kids have absolutely no interest in riding/racing. Should they change their minds, they’ll have no shortage of good equipment to borrow!”
Cindy is confident regarding summer’s National Senior Olympic Games, saying, “I would like to think I can medal in the time trial, but we’ll have to see who shows up!”
Gary and Glenda Hickey of Germantown are the second couple slated to compete in Cleveland in July. Gary showed up for the 2007 National Senior Games in Louisville, winning a gold medal. He won both a gold and a silver medal during the 2011 games in Houston.
Betty Warwick of Tipp City won a bronze medal during the 1999 games in Orlando, two bronze and a silver medal in Pittsburg in 2005, and a bronze in 2011.
Dan Waite of Centerville won a bronze medal in 2007.
Leon Burk of Tipp City has the most successful record of all, winning two gold medals in the 2005 games, a gold, two silver medals, and a bronze in the 2007 games, and a gold and a bronze medal in 2011.
Team mates Joe Raskay, Gene Killingsworth, Jules Sturbois, Bruce Skillings, Paul Rouse, David Linden, Janusz Kossek, and David Brenner also plan to represent Team Dayton-Merrill Lynch/Secret Cycling during the National Senior Olympic Games in Cleveland.
Past success leaves little reason to doubt that Team Dayton-Merrill Lynch/Secret Cycling will do well in both the Ohio and National Senior Olympic Games this summer.
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