GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — “I’ve lived and experienced almost every level of bike racing. I started here in West Michigan as a junior kid as a beginner rider when I was 12 or 13 years old hopping into my first kids race and then climbed the ranks,” said Brent Bookwalter.
Rockford native Brent Bookwalter first was introduced to mountain biking as a middle schooler and never looked back.
“My neighbor and his group of riders, he took me out to Cannonsburg for my first ride ever on a proper mountain bike trail. I just thought it was the coolest thing ever. There were trails that were made or purposely built for bikes,” said Bookwalter.
His love for riding grew quickly through high school and landed him one of the first collegiate biking scholarships to Lees McRae College. He joined the BMC Racing team in 2007 and rode professionally for 11 years across the world. He says his favorite events were always the ones where he got to come back to the US.
“So much of my career was based internationally and so much of it was based in Europe so the sweetest memories I have and my favorite memories from racing are when we got to come back to the U.S. We had some great races at the Tour of California, Tour of Utah. A great race in Colorado,” said Bookwalter.
But the best of them all was representing his country in the 2016 Olympic Games.
“The Olympics were unique in that it wasn’t so much a race that was about my professional team or my livelihood. It was this common gathering of athletes from all around the world all doing the sport that they love. And really showcasing that competitive and Olympic spirit more than just our sports or our professions,” said Bookwalter.
This weekend Brent will return to West Michigan for the Grand Rapids Gran Fondo. A race with multiple events, including an 80-mile ride all the way out to Lake Michigan and back.
“Grand Rapids is really luck to have a premiere cycling event that everyone can enjoy. It’s not just a professional level race, it’s not just a kids ride. It’s a fun way to continue to connect with people and that was a ultimately a big reason why I got into the sport that was connecting with others and learning from others and enjoying it together,” said Bookwalter.
The finish line is on Fulton street in downtown Grand Rapids and will have food, drinks and live music after the race on Saturday.
