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Instead of meeting just one Olympic cyclist, they met two.
Bobby and Syd Lea, along with their mother, Tracy, dropped by the community neuro rehabilitation center at 1817 Olde Homestead Lane in the Greenfield Corporate Center to talk about their family's Olympic legacy and how they've faced — and defeated — the challenges life has thrown their way.
Bobby will compete in the Beijing games, Syd won multiple medals in the 2007 Special Olympics and their father, Rob, went to the 1964 Olympics as a rowing alternate.
"I thought it would be cool to have them come out to talk with the (clients) about the different challenges in life," Acadia director Jack Poplar said. "It's not about just returning home or to your job, but returning back to your old lifestyle."
Syd developed brain damage because of a lack of oxygen at birth, but he hasn't allowed the disability to slow him down. Last year at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China, he earned gold medals in the 15k and 40k bike races and a silver in the 25k.
"I was surprised," Syd said about winning the gold. "I was shocked when I got it."
Syd has competed in numerous international events and also enjoys downhill skiing, speed skating and horseback riding. Although he took home the ultimate souvenir last year, the 23-year-old remembers Shanghai for other reasons.
"It's a big city," Syd said. "They're crazy drivers in Shanghai."And, I got sick from the water. Don't ever drink the water."
His brother, Bobby, is heading to Beijing on Saturday to start his own Olympic quest. The 24-year-old will compete in the men's points race on Aug. 16 and the men's madison — a two-man bike relay — on Aug. 19.
While he may not face the same challenges as his brother, the Penn State grad had his own spell of problems last winter.
While training for Beijing after failing to qualify for the 2004 games, Bobby began to notice some irregularities in his racing.
"I completely tanked on one race and then did really well in the next one," Bobby said. "That kind of performance difference was a bit of a red flag."
With the help of his mother, Bobby realized that he had external iliac artery endofibrosis, a disease that restricts blood flow in the legs. The condition is common for cyclists, affecting one in every five, said Tracy, who suffered from it herself 15 to 20 years ago.
Although he raced until a week before his February 2007 surgery, Bobby needed to stop competing for nearly two months afterward, placing him well behind other competitors.
"It was a little demoralizing to come back," Bobby said. "I got really lucky. I came back really quickly."
(156) (87) (8) (7) (6) (2)In addition to a speedy recovery, Bobby noticed a difference in his racing almost immediately.
"With twice as much blood flow, I saw improvements in weeks," Bobby said. "(Now) I can train harder; I can train back to back. And warm-ups — warm-ups are so much easier."
Bobby said his Olympic dreams would not have come true without the surgery.
As it was, he was able to give his dad one of the greatest Father's Day gifts: a simple phone call saying, "I did it!"
After sharing the struggles they faced as a family, Tracy told the group of more than 15 clients — all of whom have neurological disorders — that they, too, can rise above their obstacles.
"We all have challenges we face in everyday life," Tracy said. "What we're really talking about is meeting the challenges — daring and defying them.
"As you can see, lots of things are possible if you just try."
After their presentation, the Lea family took some time for questions, which ranged from the average speed Bobby will ride — low to mid-30s — to why he shaves his legs — massage therapists don't like hair, and peeling a Band-Aid off a smooth leg is much less painful.
As a token of their appreciation, the Acadia clients presented the Leas with personalized pictures drawn by client Jonathan Whitlock. In return, the Leas handed out autographed trading cards.
In the end, Tracy said she was excited to see that the presentation hit home with some of the clients, showing them they can enjoy activities despite their struggles.
"Cycling is so adaptive to any type of disability," Tracy said.
"It can be competitive, but it's more about lifetime fitness."
E-mail: stephweaver@lnpnews.com
