Ron Williams
Birmingham, AL
Cycling

When Ron was 15 years old, he was an avid soccer player and a member of the U.S. Jr. National Soccer team. His dream of playing in the World Cup for the U.S. was altered, when he was diagnosed with Osteogenic Sarcoma, a malignant tumor of the bone. They then discovered the tumor had metastasized to his right lung. Ron underwent surgery to remove the tumors in his lung, and a few months later he had his left leg amputated below the knee, followed by 18 months of chemotherapy.

Ever the athlete, Ron took up another sport—cycling following high school and college where he set two world records in water skiing. His talents matched those of able-bodied athletes and he started racing on the local, state, and national levels. Shortly after, he was named to the U.S. Paralympics Elite National Disabled Cycling Team. At the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia, Ron raced in two events on the track and one on the road. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Ranking List ranked Ron 3rd for cyclists in the his division.

Following the Sydney Paralympics and under the guidance of his coach Jim Lehman of Carmichael Training Systems, Ron trained for the 2001 National Cycling championships in Spokane, WA where he won first place in the road race, time trial, and criterium. Next were the European Championships in Switzerland and then a few months later the 2002 IPC World Championships in Aldenstadt, Germany. He finsihed 2nd overall, earning a silver medal, which helped the U.S. team win the medal count for the first time ever!
In October 2003, Ron had the honor of being selected for the Bristol Myers Squibb Tour of Hope Team and participated in a ride across the country to raise awareness for cancer research and clinical trials. The route was 3200 miles and completed in seven days. Ron was one of 27 cyclists chosen, ranging from cancer survivors to oncologists, to cancer researchers, and to Lance Armstrong.

In September, Ron traveled to Prague for the 2003 European Championships. There, he captured a bronze medal and two silver medals, securing his spot on the 2004 U.S. Paralympic Cycling team. The most important victory came in December though, when Ron said, “I do” at his wedding to his beautiful bride, Brooke.

Ron has been spinning his wheels on the streets of Birmingham to train for the 2004 Summer Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. Because of Ron’s determination and leadership, Ron has been named Team Captain for the upcoming games where he hopes to finish in the top three in his class, finish the 40km time trial in 55 minutes, and upgrade to the United States Cycling Federation’s Category 2. Finally, Ron has been spending more time on the motivational speaking circuit, speaking to local civic organizations and school children about setback, survival, and success. In addition to all these accomplishments, his day job is being a Field Sales Representative for Southwire Corporation.