Monterey, Calif. – It is not too often that a Graham County native gets to boast that they won a gold medal in a national competition.
Leave it to Ty Teasdale to change the narrative.
The lifelong Snowbird resident added to his Grand National Cross Country Series resume by collecting the top hardware available in Life Time Sea Otter Classic on April 19, earning first place in the men’s ages 19-23 competition. His Yamaha teammates Mitch Hawkins and Ali Cardoza claimed respective second- and third-place finishes in their divisions.
A member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Teasdale’s achievement is even more noteworthy when you take into account the seaside terrain at the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif. (where the Sea Otter Classic is held annually). Teasdale and his teammates admittedly are more comfortable with racing on ground
similar to what they train on; and the dry, packed dirt on the Pacific coast proved to be a notable shift from the softer, root-filled woods of Snowbird, the Cherohala Skyway or Cherokee’s Fire Mountain – all locations where Teasdale spends his time improving his craft.
The Sea Otter Classic is the largest cycling event in North America. Vendors and competitors from all points of the globe flock to Monterey for the week-long showcase.
The 20-year-old phenom was hardly intimidated, however; Teasdale has won two national championships in the Grand National Cross Country eMTB Series, as well as the Men’s Downhill Championship in 2020.
Teasdale is the son of Dan and Kris Teasdale; and the grandson of David and Sharon Crowe, as well as Paul and the late Betty Teasdale. He maintains a strong bond with Christ everywhere he goes as a member of Little Snowbird Baptist Church.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to represent my community on an international stage – but, more importantly, I want to represent Christ well to anyone I meet,” Teasdale said.