Hometown: Taneytown, Maryland
INAS Sport(s): Cycling & Rowing
Coach: Barry Holman
Team(s): 2009 & 2011 Athletes Without Limits Global Games US Team; T.E.A.M. Fuji Cycling
As the first “Athlete Without Limits,” Syd Lea is a true ambassador for mainstreaming in athletics and life by opening up doors for other intellectually disabled athletes and opening the eyes, hearts and minds of his non-disabled competitors.
Syd is currently the World Champion in the road race and individual time trial for INAS athletes with intellectual disability following two gold medal performances at the 2011 Global Games in Italy this September. At the 2009 INAS Global World Championships, he earned the US its first and only INAS medals taking 5 total during the Games and finishing second overall.
Throughout the year, Syd competes in mainstream (non-disabled) US Cycling events where he races for T.E.A.M. Fuji as a Category 4 Racer on the Track; a Category 5 Racer on the Road; and a Category 4 Racer in Cyclocross.
Additionally, Syd competes in several sports in Special Olympics at the local, national and international level culminating in two gold and one silver medal in cycling at the 2007 World Games in Shanghai, China. He has also officiated speed skating at World Games in Nagono, Japan and Boise, Idaho.
Syd is very well known on the local, regional, national and international cycling scene, but not just because he is a successful competitor. He is best known for being a friend to all athlete at all levels of sport — whether juniors, beginner women, world champions or other athletes with disability. One week you’ll find him working the “pits” for a pro racer at a UCI event and the next he’ll be loaning his bike and his race knowledge to a first time racer so she can give racing a try in a local event.
When he is not traveling, racing or training, Syd works as a member of the groundskeeping crew at Mount Saint Mary’s University; volunteers at a local horse farm; and helps with event promotion for the annual Taneytown MABRA Cyclocross Championships to benefit Athletes Without Limits. He also makes a monthly donation to Athletes Without Limits to help support the development of other exceptional athletes with intellectual disability.
Last year Syd began serious training in hopes of making the first US National Rowing Team for athletes with Intellectual Disability now that a class for a coxed four has been added to the 2016 Paralympic Rowing program. He won the 2009 and 2010 category for athletes with intellectual disability at the ConceptII Crash B Indoor Rowing Championships in Boston and participated in the US Rowing Camp for Athletes with Intellectual Disability in Texas in April 2011.
Results Highlights:
2012 C.R.A.S.H.-B. Indoor Rowing Sprints
- Gold Medal in Men’s Intellectually Disabled (1,000m time beats the INAS World Record by 8 seconds)
Member of US Team at 2011 INAS Global Games, Italy
- Gold Medal and World Champion: Individual Time Trial
- Gold Medal and World Champion: Road Race
Member of US Team at 2009 INAS Global Games, Czech Republic
- Silver: Overall, Long Time Trial, Short & Long Road Races
- Bronze: Short Time Trial, Team Time Trial
News Coverage:
50+ Athletes with Disability Compete at C.R.A.S.H.-B. Indoor Rowing Sprints
Event shows great promise for integration of athletes with intellectual, physical, and visual disabilities into prominent sporting events Boston, MA – Over 50 athletes with disabilities competed amongst the 2,200+ total participants at the 2012 C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints, an annual indoor rowing competition that took place earlier today at Boston University’s Agganis Arena. Competitors rowed 1,000 or 2,000 meters against the clock on sponsor Concept2 ergometers in various categories including Men’s and Women’s Open, Lightweight,...
read moreLea Leads Team USA with Two World Championship Gold Medals at Global Games in Italy
October 10, 2011 Washington, DC - Six elite athletes with intellectual disability represented the United States at the INAS Global Games World Championships in Italy from September 24 - October 3. Nearly 700 athletes from 40 countries competed in swimming, athletics, tennis, basketball, indoor soccer, cycling, and table tennis. The Global Games are a major preparatory competition for the London 2012 Paralympic Games where for the first time since 2000 people with intellectual disability will be compete in swimming, table tennis, and athletics.
read moreGlobal Games World Championships for Para-Athletes with Intellectual Disability Begins in Italy
September 29, 2011 Loano, Italy — The competition for the team of US athletes at the 2011 INAS/IPC Global Games in Liguria Italy began today when swimmers Leslie Cichocki and Sarah Gilbert took to the water at Palasporte, the 50m outdoor competition pool in Loano, Italy.
read moreUS Athletes Without Limits Head to Italy for Global Games
September 1, 2011 – Athletes Without Limits, a nonprofit dedicated to helping athletes with intellectual disability integrate and accelerate in sport, is proud to announce a strong US National team for the 2011 INAS Global Games. The Games are the world championship for athletes with intellectual disability and a key qualifier in Swimming, Track & Field for London 2012 Paralympic Games. Athletes Without Limits will be leading a team of six athletes to Liguria, Italy, for the prestigious international event that takes place every 4 years...
read moreSyd Lea Wins CrashB Indoor Rowing Event
February 21, 2011: Athletes Without Limits Syd Lea competed as part of the Capital Adaptive Rowing squad at the 2nd annual Adaptive Challenge at the C.R.A.S.H.-B Sprints in Boston.
read moreAthlete Without Limits’ Syd Lea Wins MABRA Cyclocross Series
December 15, 2009: Lea won 2 races and placed in the top in most others (competing against non-disabled riders) to capture the 2009 series title.
read moreAthletes Without Limits’ Syd Lea Earns Silver at USA Track & Field Disability 5k Cross Country Meet
October 4, 2009: Athletes Without Limits staff met a talented group of distance runners on the beautiful waterfront cross country course. It was an opportunity to meet distance runners Steven Cuomo and Marcus Saunders.
read moreUS Brings Home Medals and High Rankings at 2009 Global Games
July 14, 2009 : Three US athletes with intellectual disability represented the US at the 2009 Global Games held in Liberec, Czech Republic July 5 – 14. Nearly 1,000 elite athletes from 40 countries competed for gold, silver and bronze in seven sports.
read moreUSA Wins First Medal at 2009 Global Games
July 8, 2009: Liberec, Czech Republic - Cyclist Syd Lea Wins Bronze in Individual Time Trial; Swimmer Maria D'Andrea Ranks 8th in the World in Distance Event.
read moreFirst US Team to Compete at Global Games in Czech Republic July 5-14
June 29, 2009: Nearly 1,500 elite athletes with intellectual disability from 40 countries will compete for world championships in nine sports.
read moreFollow Us On
Our Facebook Wall
Support a Paralympic Dream
