About 100 K-5 students and staff gathered in the gym, cheering wildly and waving mini American flags as the athletes arrived. Amos rode from Durango on his bike and showed it to students. He and Wells played a slideshow as they spoke, followed by a Q&A and autograph signing. The students learned about the Olympics and how the cyclists embodied Portrait of a Graduate competencies.
Amos is a graduate of Durango High School who just returned from the Olympics and is sponsored and racing all over the world. He won a gold medal at the 2024 Union Cycliste Internationale Mountain Bike World Cup. Amos told students that Olympians must be Resilient Risk-Takers.
“We probably fail more than we succeed,” he said. “When you’re racing against the best people in the world, it helps to set goals – like your reading or math goals. It will help you get further along.”
Wells is a professional cyclist specializing in mountain bike racing and cyclocross. He races for the SRAM/TLD Factory Racing team for mountain bike racing, is a 12-time national champion, and has also participated in the Beijing Olympics. Wells said mountain biking requires athletes to be Agile Thinkers.
“Some trails can be scary,” he said, showing a photo of athletes walking their bikes up a rocky hill. “You have to be always aware, because things are constantly changing. You can’t get mad or upset. You’re constantly on your toes.”
The athletes talked about racing cross country and short track. They described parts of a bike, like gears and shocks, and explained how they use them. Students asked when athletes started training, and Wells and Amos said they both began in high school. Amos said he rode for fun with friends starting in second grade, and loved being in DEVO as a kid. Wells was his first teacher when he started racing.
A student asked how often the athletes train. Amos said 12-20 hours a week. “Yesterday, I burned about 5,000 calories. That’s a lot of cheeseburgers!” he said, laughing. “Just kidding. We have to eat really healthy foods all the time and get plenty of sleep.”
Aubrey Farnam, a parent/guardian liaison for the district, brought the idea of a visit from the cyclists to the principal of FLMES in October. She wanted to model it after a successful meet-and-greet held during the City of Durango’s Spoketober event.
FLMES is the district’s smallest school, with under 100 students. Principal Jenny Imel has worked to create connections to in-town activities for the school. She strives to provide equity for students who don't have the means to participate in downtown activities due to distance – about a 25-minute drive from Durango – lack of transportation, and funding. FLMES is also working to secure donations for bikes and a pump track around the school so children can ride their bikes on weekends, vacations, and after school.
