Missileer Cycles

  • Published
  • By Ron Jenkins
  • 90th Space Wing Public Affairs
F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. --  Most everyone has probably at one point in their lives hit a dead end when it came to dreams of glory in a particular sport. For most of us, at that point, we usually pack up our bags and leave the competitive sports world behind. Others of us may try to pick up another sport and try our chances once more at glory.

1st Lt. Ian Holt, 319th Missile Squadron, dreamed of making the Air Force Academy hockey team, but unfortunately was unable to achieve that dream so he decided to start over in a relatively new sport, cycling.

Growing up, Lieutenant Holt watched his sister cycle competitively on the national team, and he cycled in high school. In his senior year, Lieutenant Holt took his soccer and hockey coaches' advice to "get a bike and ride" and that set the stage for the lieutenant's future cycling glory.

When he didn't make the Air Force Academy hockey team, Lieutenant Holt tried out for the club cycling team.

"I started out at the bottom, but I was motivated," Lieutenant Holt explained.

With hard work, 1st Lt. Holt improved: in fact, he finished tenth at the national level (he was plagued with a flat tire) and third in the Rocky Mountain Conference.

Upon commissioning, Lieutenant Holt has continued to pursue cycling with excelling under the pressure of being a missileer. Lieutenant Holt has been stationed at Warren since April 2005 and is a pivotal member of the Armed Forces Cycling team, where he has raced in the world championships for military cyclists.

To be able to compete at a high level in cycling while being in the military can be difficult: Lieutenant Holt monitors his diet, his vitamin intake and physical conditioning but doesn't have the available training time as his competitors.

"Support from commanders is essential," stated Lieutenant Holt. "They have been awesome. Without their support I wouldn't be able to be at this level."

Commanders support the lieutenant in creative ways: they allow him to train in the capsule. This allows him to accumulate the 18,000 to 20,000 miles he needs each year to be prepared for races, such as the US Elite Championships he will compete in July.