By: Eric Jia
Magnus White, a 17-year-old rising star in American cycling, was killed after being hit by a driver while cycling on the shoulder of a highway in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado. White had been preparing to head to Glasgow, Scotland, to compete in the Junior Men’s Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Championships next week. He was a member of USA Cycling’s junior men’s national team and won the 2021 USA Cyclocross Junior Men’s National Championship. He represented the U.S. in his first cyclocross world championship last year in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and competed in his second earlier this year in the Netherlands.
White’s parents, Michael and Jill White, released a statement on Monday expressing their emotions on their son’s death: “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the tragic loss of our beloved son, Magnus White. Magnus was dedicated to his family and friends and loved to surround them with laughter. He had an amazing smile that always lit up the room, bringing joy to those around him.”
A family friend has set up a GoFundMe to support the family. “Magnus was taken from us while doing what he loved most, riding his bike,” writes Christine Lipson, the fundraiser’s organizer.
White was riding on the shoulder of Highway 119, known as the Diagonal, in Boulder on Saturday afternoon when he was hit by a 23-year-old woman driving a Toyota Matrix. The driver crossed from the right-hand lane onto the shoulder, striking White from behind before she crashed into a fence. White was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead. The car’s driver was uninjured. Neither drugs, alcohol nor excessive speed are suspected factors in the crash.
USA Cycling said in a statement Sunday that White was a rising star in off-road cycling and “his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community.” “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement continued. “We ride for Magnus.”