By: Elliott Chu

Rising cyclist star Magnus White died this May after being hit by a car on Highway 119 in Boulder, Colorado, while training for the Cyclocross World Championships in the Netherlands. He was using the Highway 119 as a model for his competition in the Netherlands.

From the age of eight, his passion for biking grew. He trained with Boulder Junior Cycling, hoping to become a professional cyclist one day. He was also an avid skier and a student who wanted to attend business school. He planned to graduate high school a semester early to focus on international competition.

White was excelling in Cyclocross, an international sport in which racers compete on a course of multiple surfaces, including pavement and trails, and they carry their bikes over off-road obstacles. The Cyclocross tournaments last from September to February. Because the tournaments are mostly in winter, competitors face snow, rain, and mud. He posted that he had to endure mud, food poisoning, and snapped chains sometimes during matches.

White was dabbling in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was doing his last training before his junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the tragedy occurred.

White said that these international events helped him understand the dynamics of this competition and let him compete against stronger, better opponents. White had described Scotland as a “new and exciting chapter to my cycling career.”

“White was cycling when he was eight and quickly rose through the ranks,” writes Christine Lipson, whose son was a close friend and teammate of White’s. “His journey in cycling was driven by tireless work ethic and a deep desire to achieve his personal best. Magnus was proud to represent his community and country around the world.”

Source:

https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/38102982/us-cycling-team-member-magnus-white-dies-age-17

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/31/sports/magnus-white-us-cycling-dead.html