TANEYTOWN, Md. – Charles Syd Lean of Taneytown has been involved in competitive cycling since he was three years old, riding away with countless medals, awards, titles and trophies. But most recently Syd participated in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games and left an Olympic champion.

Syd won gold medals in the 15k road race and 40k road race and won silver in the 25k road race in the top-seeded division.

“It was good,” Syd simply said of his experience at the Olympics. For three weeks Syd was in China, training prior to and participating in the Olympic Games, which gave him quite a bit of time to take in the culture.

“It was alright,” Syd said of the food, adding that using chopsticks was a bit tricky.

To prepare for the Olympics and all of his competitions, Syd trains four times a week, often cycling the 15 miles to his job at Mount Saint Mary’s University, where he works on the grounds crew.

Syd’s father and mother, Robert and Tracy, are avid cyclist themselves and go on rides with Syd occasionally, which can test their stamina more than Syd’s.

“He’s very strong… so it’s nothing when he drops me,” Robert said. “When he wants to go, I can’t hold his wheel.”

That determination and strength seems to be a key in Syd’s ability to blow away the competition. At the most-recent Special Olympics Syd faced stiff competition and in the midst of a race, while his coach was shouting advice from the sideline, Syd did the one thing he could, ride hard.

“I’m doing what I’m doing,” Syd shouted to his coach, racing away to victory.

With the Olympics behind him, for now, Syd continues to train for that next competition and makes plans for the future. Although some may consider Syd’s intellectual disability just that, a disability, it’s not so for his family or Syd, who is as able and determined as any.

After taking his driving permit test 20 times, Syd received his permit and is in the process of clocking his driving time and thinking about which car he may buy; right now it’s a smart car, a green one, because it’s safe and cheaper on gas.

With the next Olympics a few short years away and many competitions held between now and then, there is no doubt that Syd will continue to excel in his sport and race away victorious, because as Robert said, “Syd never wants to give up.”

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