The adrenaline and intensity of biking are what initially attracted Ian Borella to cycling. He loves the rush of going down a hill along with the hectic sprints to end races. The adrenaline has always been there for Ian, and now he is starting to win awards that demonstrate his passion for competitive cycling.
Four weeks ago, Ian competed in the Gateway Cup, a four-day national race held in St. Louis. Ian, sophomore, won two of the four days and finished second in the other two. He finished first overall to win the event.
“It was the proudest moment of my life,” Ian said. “I love knowing that I am the first Kirkwood High School student in history to win a national bike race.”
Ian rides 20-30 miles daily to ensure that he keeps his stamina up, traveling routes on short sprints and steep hills. His training rides are designed to exhaust him and help prepare him for grueling races.
“I have to ride after sports practice so I push myself to the limits everyday until I’m exhausted,” Ian said. “I try to beat my personal record of fastest mile every ride.”
Ian must spend each day training because every ride matters to him while trying to get better. His cycling coach, Trey Hogan, agrees. He said the best riders are always the riders who put in the most time.
“If you aren’t putting in your time, you will get beat and beat fast,” Hogan said. “If you don’t love biking, it’s a huge pain in the butt.”
While Ian is now an avid cyclist, there was a time when he had no interest in it. Then Ian babysat for Stewart Munson, who owns Maplewood Bicycling, a cycling shop. After Ian’s first day babysitting, Munson decided to pay him with a racing bike instead of money.
“Stewart Munson is a very active cyclist,” Melissa Borella, Ian’s mom, said. “He was always talking about it and encouraging Ian to give it a try.”
After buying the necessary cycling gear, Ian ended up giving it a try the very next week. He won his first race, the Tour of St. Louis.
Since that first race, cycling has been a large part of Ian’s life. Melissa also sees the special relationship between Ian and cycling.
“He fell in love with the sport after his first race,” Melissa said. “All that adrenaline and competition just pushes him harder.”
Although cycling is important to Ian, he also has to balance his time between soccer practice and a demanding school schedule.
“I don’t have very much free time,” Ian said. “My typical day is school, practice, bike ride and then homework.”
Even though his leisure time is at a minimum, Ian’s passion for cycling keeps him going. However, Ian said it is more than worth it to put in the extra effort.
“Im really excited because cycling is getting more popular every day,” Ian said. “Cycling gives me the best time of my life.”
