Photo By Sgt. Jesse Smith | Sgt. Michael W. Schmidt, a driver for the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Infantry...... read more read more
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CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – The sun is out and the sky is blue without a cloud in sight. All you can hear is the sound of rubber against the concrete and the gears of a bicycle. Suddenly, you see wheels racing down the street. The rider leans forward; his face dripping with sweat. You see the determination, the passion that lies inside him.
The rider was Army Sgt. Michael W. Schmidt, a native of Lyons, New York, and a driver for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, but he wasn’t always riding his wheels on the road.
“I picked up mountain biking as a hobby while I was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado,” Schmidt said. “I had never competed before so I decided to do one beginner race and from there I fell in love with riding.”
Schmidt continued his love for the sport when he got stationed in Katterbach, Germany. He said the installation management command had set up races at bases all over Europe.
“I was luckily able to travel around to all of these different events while I was there, but to get from base to base faster I had to get a road bike,” Schmidt said.
He said he never ended up doing any road bike races in Germany, but when he got stationed in Korea he decided it was time to try it out.
“I brought my road bike over here last year and went out and did really well at a race,” Schmidt said. “Now I have really picked up my training and gotten a new bike to try and compete on the national level.”
Schmidt competed in an 86 km road race during a weekend from Feb. 28 through March 1 in Kangjin, South Korea. He placed 36th out of 400 with a time of 2 hours and 17 minutes. It was a national race with some of the best racers from South Korea competing. Schmidt said his great placement means now he is nationally ranked and at the next race on April 25 in Naju, South Korea he will have a much better starting spot.
“Starting in the back this race actually cost me a chance to win because the racers at the front had such of a head start,” Schmidt said.
He said he believes that at the next race his team, the storm riders, will have a chance to take the top 3 spots. His team which is based out of Seoul, South Korea has 12 active riders including another service member. Schmidt said he thinks the team has received growing support due to them having military members.
“It’s nice to see the community around the military also supports us,” Schmidt said.
He said that being in the Army has benefited him in a multitude of ways when it comes to racing.
“The Army has given me a chance to race in places you wouldn’t normally get to go,” Schmidt said. “It’s nice to be able to come to Korea or Germany and race because as an amateur you don’t get that chance.”
He also said the military has taught him traits that he uses every time he races to include teamwork.
“You have to work together and share the load,” Schmidt said. “I wouldn’t be able to succeed without my team.”
Schmidt has participated in many different kinds of competitions over the years, but he is taking his riding career one race at a time, and he is still determined to grow stronger and faster at every turn.
| Date Taken: | 03.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.07.2015 21:44 |
| Story ID: | 156323 |
| Location: | PYEONGTAEK, 41, KR |
| Hometown: | LYONS, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 198 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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