Besides holding his office, this POTUS (President of the United States) is a man of many talents. An avid reader who prefers biographies, a painter whose best-known work is titled ‘Out of Many, One’ and a series of 43 paintings of immigrants, and the most interesting of all – A mountain biker. This Connecticut-born president took a liking to mountain biking in the later phase of his life. He made headlines, besides his political reasons, for celebrating his 70th birthday in a unique style.

He took oath as the President of the United States for the first time in 2001 and held the office till 2009 for successively two terms. It was after his term ended for good, he took an interest in off-road cycling over rough terrain in his hometown. But what caused him to take this sport in particular? Let’s find out.

How did George W Bush develop his love for Mountain biking

George W. Bush, named after his father George H.W. Bush, was elected as the 43rd President of the United States of America. His father held the same office two terms back. Bush actively started pursuing his hobbies after his term ended, but one particular hobby i.e. mountain biking was born out of a visit to a certain Sgt. Major Chris Self.

According to Dallas News, Bush went to visit the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center in 2009, when he met Sgt Major Self. Self was shot in his leg during a battle and was terribly wounded leading to amputation. But as an avid mountain biker, Self never gave up on his passion for the same. A specialized biking prosthesis for his leg was provided so that the Sergeant could continue biking. When Bush learned about this story, he invited him back to his ranch in Texas.

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Thus in 2011, the annual 100 km mountain biking event was born – W100k. A biking rally for wounded war veterans alongside George W. Bush, on his Prarie Chapel ranch in Crawford, Texas. Besides serving as a hobby for many, mountain biking also found its way into the sporting world’s most prestigious event. Such is its allure that Bush even celebrated his 70th birthday (in 2016) with the war veterans by mountain biking.

The fun in Mountain biking that attracts veterans and Olympians alike

Various types of cycling events have been held at Tokyo Olympics 2021 – Road Cycling, Track Cycling, BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, and also Mountain Biking. The latter sport is a relatively newer one in the Olympics in the larger spectrum of all Olympic events. It first made its way into the world’s largest event in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Although there are subsections in the discipline, the only one that was held at Tokyo Olympics 2021 was the cross-country race. Athletes here have to traverse a 2.5-mile-long road through jungle areas and rocky pathways.

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