In 2020 we introduced you to Oklahoma cyclist Simeon Gipson, who picked up cycling to work his way back to health and away from diabetes and who has become a role model in the Cherokee Nation. (Read his inspiring Personal Best story here.)
Since that time, Simeon was given a new racing bike by his son. Another Cherokee man, Brian Impson, had befriended Simeon but only had a leisure bike. They decided to gift Simeon’s old racing bike to Brian, and because of that he was able to qualify and compete in Time Trials at the 2022 Games. “It feels good to pay it forward,” he states.
Osiyo TV is a channel serving the Cherokee population and has a flagship feature program called Voices of the Cherokee People.The channel sent a crew to Florida to follow Simeon at The Games as part of an extended profile of the cyclist that will air early next year.
“Simeon is a great representative of the Cherokee Nation,” says Osiyo TV producer Colby Luper. “His journey through medical complications and doing things to help others find a healthier lifestyle is an important example to follow.”
The 76-year-old once again proved what he is made of during the race, and not because of his athletic effort. During Saturday’s 20K race a female cyclist took a spill. Simeon was not far behind her and instead of whizzing by to finish his race he stopped and stayed with her until help arrived.
Simeon was not upset about the time lost that moved him down the results list. “If you believe in humanity, you help people in need,” he quietly explains. If we gave gold medals for heart, Simeon would be atop the podium on this day.
