Cool story :How do you raise a world champion? We asked Quinn Simmons’s parents

[weisan]

https://www.velonews.com/2020/01/road/how-do-you-raise-a-world-champion-we-asked-quinn-simmonss-parents_503927

Champions are born, right? Maybe not. We spoke to Holly and Scott Simmons, parents of junior world champion Quinn Simmons, to see how their love of the outdoors steered their sons on a pathway to pro cycling.

[BobO]

Quinn and Scott woke up early and drove to a rock climbing route called Void of Form, located a few miles outside Tucson, Arizona. The duo spent the next seven hours strapped into their harnesses, ascending a 1,000-foot granite buttress with several sheer pitches.

“You pull out over the top and look out and it’s 1,000 feet straight down and it’s like, ‘wow, that is so cool,'” Quinn Simmons told VeloNews. “It was a good rest day activity with dad.”

Pontatoc Ridge is a very cool spot, the views both up and down the mountain are really spectacular. I'm not a climber, but I imagine that climb they did is a tough one. Fortunately, there is an "easier" way to get up to the top of that. Though, you do have to watch for the Spanish Dagger that will perforate your ankles through your boots.

[82Picchio]

And thank you very much, OP, for correctly forming the possessive of Simmons.

[FlashUNC]

Sigh, Fair Use. It's not even a paywalled article for Pete's sake.

[mhespenheide]

Sigh, Fair Use. It's not even a paywalled article for Pete's sake.

Agreed.

While it's okay to take a quote of part of an article and reproduce it elsewhere, it's not fair use to reproduce the whole thing here.

Fred Drier, the author, worked to research and write this article. VeloNews paid for him to do so. VeloNews earns their money by advertising revenue. At minimum, you should go read the article on their site so that they earn more advertising revenue.

[AngryScientist]

Agreed.

While it's okay to take a quote of part of an article and reproduce it elsewhere, it's not fair use to reproduce the whole thing here.

Fred Drier, the author, worked to research and write this article. VeloNews paid for him to do so. VeloNews earns their money by advertising revenue. At minimum, you should go read the article on their site so that they earn more advertising revenue.

i dont disagree with this.

weisan - can you delete the text and leave the link please? it's free to view so that's not an issue.

back to the base discussion...

[Peter P.]

A world champion is foremost the luck of the gene pool, then the upbringing.

Simmons would never had made it as a football lineman or powerlifter, for instance.

[EricChanning]

A world champion is foremost the luck of the gene pool, then the upbringing.

Simmons would never had made it as a football lineman or powerlifter, for instance.

I get this but I often wonder how many people are born with the physical characteristics to be a great endurance athlete but never even come slightly close to understanding their abilities. With obvious traits like height and size, you can nearly be drafted toward certain team sports as a child.

[Peter P.]

...With obvious traits like height and size, you can nearly be drafted toward certain team sports as a child.

That's how the former Soviet Union and East Germany cultivated their Olympic teams. I wouldn't be surprised if the Russians/Chinese/North Koreans do that now.

[redir]

Genetics certainly helps, in fact it's a must to be a pro in any sport. The one successful pro cyclist know has a father who makes me shudder on the Masters start line when I hear his name called up. In his case it was not only a father, and a mother, who were active all their lives but who have passed on a pretty kick arse set of genes.

And sadly that's the thing, there could be some kid sitting on the couch playing video games right now who's parents are either too busy at work or just uninterested in that sort of thing who could be the next greatest cyclist if only he had support and motivation.