It is with great sadness, that we report the passing of Warren Strickland today, February 23, 2007.
Many of you learned about Warren’s serious accident last fall by reading the posts on this very website. After nearly a 5-month long battle, his name now appears on the growing list of victims of senseless cycling tragedies.
For those who did not know Warren, you missed out! I recall receiving an email from him back in 2000. He decided that handcycling was the sport for him, and he was going to become the best in the world. To begin his quest, he sent an email to the director of every disabled sports program in the country looking for sponsorship, including the USHF. I was amused by his swagger, and simultaneously curious about his potential. His email indicated he could bench press more than his able-bodied counterparts, and he was serious about handcycling.
We soon invited Warren to the Rocky Mountain OMnium in Colorado to check out his potential. I expected to meet a cocky, self-assured athlete with alot to say. I soon learned that Warren was really just a young kid from Louisiana looking to learn the ropes and meet some new folks. I liked him immediately, and so did everyone else. He was “baptized by fire” that year, racing in his first event against the likes of Craig Blanchette, Michel Bond, and Scott McNeice. It was a great experience for him however, and it seemed he was here to stay.
Warren came to Alaska in 2001 to have a go at the toughest race in the world. He was in for a surprise on day one, as he was clearly under-prepared for the hills between FAirbanks and Nenana. It was a rough day for everyone, and Warren’s comment was understated and ironic: “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done…I can’t wait for tomorrow’s stage. ”
Later, WArren volunteered his time for U.S. Handcycling and was a cheerleader for a national series of integrated cycling races. He championed the participation at the 2006 Tour de Georgia and filed race reports from the road (see the HCNRadio category on your right).
Although Warren never reached his world-class potential (yet), he made a significant impact on the sport of handcycling in the U.S. Whether he was hanging out at a training camp, racing in Alaska, or firing off emails to the Yahoo! group, Warren was always an ambassador for handcycling, and a guy that everybody liked. LIke many of you, I always enjoyed speaking to Warren because I knew he would have something positive to say…even though you sometimes had to just smile and nod if you couldn’t understand his deep Louisana accent.
So today I lost a friend, and so did the entire handcycling — make that cycling — community.
We’re gonna miss you Warren…and we won’t forget you!
Yours in Sport (one of Warren’s favorite lines),
Ian Lawless
Executive Director, USHF
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