Special Olympics Gold Medalist Syd Lea is on a Roll (Video)

Syd Lea is quiet and unassuming. He lives in the rolling hills of Carroll County just outside Taneytown and works with the grounds crew at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg. He graduated from Francis Scott Key High School in 2004.

It would be easy to think he lives a quiet, simple life, but on the contrary, Syd is a fierce world champion athlete, competing at the international level in cycling and rowing.

In July he earned three gold medals at the Special Olympics in Greece, and he is currently competing in Austria. Syd competes in open races as well, meaning they are not geared toward individuals with disabilities.  

Syd has traveled the world competing on his bicycle for many of his 26 years. In 2007 he competed at the Special Olympics in Shanghai, China and earned one silver and two gold medals. This year he earned three gold medals in Athens, Greece, for the 15 kilometer, 25 kilometer and 40 kilometer races.

He has also racked up two world champion rowing titles for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

International athletic competition is a lifestyle for the Lea family. Rob Lea, Syd’s dad, was a rower for the U.S. Olympic Team in the 1964 Tokyo Games. Syd's older brother Bobby was a member of the Olympic cycling team in the 2008 Beijing games and is hoping to return to compete in the 2012 games.

With little time to rest after returning from Austria in late August, Syd will begin training for his trip to Italy in September, where he will compete in the World Championships for intellectually disabled athletes.