COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Cycling and the Catlin family announced today two recipients of the Kelly Catlin Fund. The fund was created in memory of USA Cycling National Team member Kelly Catlin, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist and three-time World Champion who passed away on March 8. Through the fund, annual grants will support the Minnesota Cycling Center and emerging women’s talent in track racing through the Kelly Catlin Women’s Track Development Grant.
“An exceptional talent, Kelly was passionate about growth potential on and off the bike and in helping others perform at their best,” said Rob DeMartini, president and CEO of USA Cycling, “Through the Kelly Catlin Fund, her dedication will continue to make an impact both in the community where she began racing and for future generations of cyclists.”
The new Kelly Catlin Women’s Track Development Grant will support the growth of emerging riders, assisting in racing and performance development in women’s track cycling.
“We will forever miss Kelly and be proud of all she accomplished,” said Mark Catlin, Kelly's father. “She was incredibly strong and so committed to encouraging friends and teammates. It is our hope that others will now have the opportunity to receive access to education, coaching and community support so that they can also achieve racing success.”
Located in Minneapolis, the Minnesota Cycling Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a vibrant education, racing and entertainment destination for cyclists and fans of all ages in the Twin Cities area. Once developed, the multi-purpose facility will feature a velodrome, BMX track and fitness center, plus an event center that will provide community cycling programs, after school S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education curriculum, street-level retail and a home for gatherings of all types.
“We are deeply touched and humbled that Kelly’s family and USA Cycling have chosen the Minnesota Cycling Center as one of the beneficiaries of the Kelly Catlin Fund,” said Jason Lardy, President of the Minnesota MN Cycling Center. “Kelly was generous with her support of our mission and she is profoundly missed by all of us. We will honor her through our continued efforts to build a new velodrome and continue to offer thousands of kids a chance to discover the same passion for track cycling that Kelly embodied.”
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Kelly Catlin earned bachelor's degrees in biomedical engineering and Chinese from the University of Minnesota in 2018 and was pursuing a master's degree in computational and mathematical engineering at Stanford University.
Catlin began racing as a Junior category athlete with the NorthStar Development Team in Minnesota. She first represented Team USA at the 2013 UCI Road World Championships in the Junior Road Race and Junior Individual Time Trial. Her performances caught the attention of USA Cycling National Team coaches, and she was invited to a training camp, which led to her selection to the National Team as a track cyclist. She won three World Championships with the Women's Team Pursuit squad in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Catlin also captured bronze medals at the 2017 and 2018 UCI Track World Championships in the Individual Pursuit. In addition, she raced professionally with Rally UHC Cycling.
For more information on the Kelly Catlin Fund, visit: www.usacycling.org/foundation/kelly-catlin-fund
Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.
For more information, please contact Guillermo Rojas at grojas@usacycling.org.
