Eddie Borysewicz facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
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| Full name | Edward Borysewicz | ||
| Born | March 18, 1939 Poland |
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| Died | November 16, 2020 (aged 81) Drezdenko, Poland |
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| Team information | |||
| Rider type | Road, track | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Edward Borysewicz (born March 18, 1939 – died November 16, 2020), often called "Eddie B", was a famous cycling coach. He helped the United States become a top country in cycling, even though he barely spoke English at first. Under his guidance, the US team won nine medals at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984. This was the first time Americans had won cycling medals since 1912. Before that, Audrey McElmury won the World Road Cycling Championships in 1969, and Beth Heiden won in 1980.
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Eddie B's Early Life and Coaching Start
Eddie Borysewicz was born in northeastern Poland. This area is now part of Belarus. He started as a runner but soon switched to cycling. He was very good at it and won the junior national champion title twice.
After his time in the army, he faced some health issues. But he recovered and won two more national championships. Because of his health, he stopped racing. He then studied physical education at the University of Warsaw.
After university, Eddie B became a coach. He helped riders win 30 national and world championships! One of his famous students was Mieczysław Nowicki, who later became Poland's Minister of Sport.
Moving to the United States
In 1976, Eddie B went to the Olympic Games in Montreal as an assistant coach for the Polish team. From there, he visited friends in New Jersey, USA, who he used to race with.
He joined the North Jersey Bicycle Club. One day, while wearing their jersey, he met Mike Fraysse in a bike shop. Mike was in charge of the American cycling federation's competition committee. The US cycling federation had received money to improve its coaching and support for athletes. This was because the US wanted to compete better against countries that strongly supported their athletes.
Mike Fraysse talked to Eddie B about sharing his experience from Polish sports schools. They spoke in French because Eddie B didn't know English yet. The next year, the US federation hired Eddie Borysewicz as their first full-time coach. His riders started calling him "Eddie B" because his last name was hard to say.
Becoming the National Coach
Eddie Borysewicz set up his office at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Squaw Valley, California. Since he didn't speak English well, a Polish friend's son, who was also a cyclist, helped him as a translator.
He made some big changes to the team. He focused on developing new talent. One of the first riders Eddie B helped was Greg LeMond. Eddie B called him "a diamond, a clear diamond." In 1977, Sue Novara finished second in the world sprint championship on the track. Also, Connie Carpenter came in second in the world road championship.
The US team did not go to the Olympic Games in Moscow. Four years later, in 1984, many countries did not send their men's cycling teams to the Games in Los Angeles. This meant less competition. However, the four gold, three silver, and one bronze medals won by the US team were still a huge achievement. They were the first American cycling medals since 1912!
Coaching Professional Teams
Eddie Borysewicz left his role as the American national team coach in 1987. He had some disagreements with team members. In 1988, he started his own amateur cycling team.
A Korean electronics company, Sunkyong, sponsored his team for one year. After that, Eddie B looked for new sponsors. He found Montgomery Securities, whose boss, Thomas Weisel, agreed to support a team of 15 riders. This team included a young rider named Lance Armstrong.
Over time, this team changed sponsors several times. It eventually became the US Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams. Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times with these teams. However, those victories were later removed in 2012 due to rule violations. Eddie Borysewicz always said that he discovered Lance Armstrong, not Armstrong's later coach, Chris Carmichael.
Eddie B's Personal Life
Eddie Borysewicz lived in Ramona, California. In 2003, his house was destroyed by the Cedar Fire, a large wildfire in San Diego County. After this, he received over 600 letters from friends and cyclists around the world. People also donated $120,000, which helped him rebuild his home.
His Passing
After he stopped coaching in 2016, Eddie Borysewicz split his time. He spent half the year in Ramona, California, and the other half in Poland. He passed away on November 16, 2020, at a hospital in Drezdenko, Poland. He was 81 years old and had become sick with COVID-19.
Honors and Awards
- In 1996, Eddie Borysewicz was welcomed into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.
- He received the "Super Master of Sports" title, which is Poland's highest award for athletes.
- He was given the "Father of Modern American Cycling" award at the Endurance Sports Awards in San Diego.
See also
In Spanish: Eddie Borysewicz para niños
- List of doping cases in cycling
