In commemoration of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, kick back and enjoy a walk with Rayster on his youthful quest to be on the USA Olympic Team.
Man, I tell you what, I remember when the Olympics were only for amateurs. There were no freaking pros allowed and I went to the Olympic Trials with the honest thought in the back of my head that I could go to the Olympics. I chased this dream for 7 years; sleeping in vans, eating Raymond noodles, hoping from city to city and barely living off the fat of my wins.
A lot of people at the time ask me what it was like to visit this city or that city. They’d say things like, “Wow you raced in San Diego, what was that like?…or how cool is Scottsdale?”. To be honest with you, it was all the same to me. I didn’t have time to enjoy the landscape or unique cultural aspects of each city I traveled to. My common response to this question was, “I got out of my car, raced the bumpiest roads San Diego had to offer, stayed in the cheapest motel they had, got in my car the next morning and went to the next town to race the bumpiest roads it had to offer”. Full-time bike racing is a labor of love, and I was a man on a freaking mission…who cared? I was freaking flying! I wanted so badly to be a big contract professional racer and go to the Olympics.
I can remember my 30th birthday…I tell you what, it really hit me hard. I can remember being depressed for several days straight after it. I didn’t get out of bed or do anything. I had been trying so hard to achieve my dreams and it just didn’t happen. Soon after, Mallissa (my eventual wife) called me when I was in my funk. I gave her the sob story of my life and complained and moaned to her. Her response to me still resonates in my mind today. After listening to my self-loathing for too long she finally responded, “You know what Ray?...Tough…Get over it”.
Everything changed at that moment. I got back on my bike, started racing and training again and never looked back.
Ray has been racing for longer than I’ve been alive. His career boasts many successes but it never quite went to the level he dreamed of. However, I don’t think I’ve ever met another racer whose passion still burns so intensely after all these years. Ray’s dedication, perseverance, and willingness to impart his knowledge onto his teammates has rightfully earned him the title of “The Godfather of Michigan Cycling”.
