Cyclist Sarah Hammer Wheels Toward Her First Olympic Medal

As U.S. cyclist Sarah Hammer anticipates the arrival of the London Games next month, she looks to put her previous Olympic experience behind her. Four years ago, Hammer left Beijing with a broken collarbone, along with a broken dream. “It wasn’t my best experience overall,” Hammer told the LA Times in regards to not winning any medals.

But like a true competitor, Hammer took all the new lessons she learned from her first Olympic experience and used them as motivation in hopes for a much better outcome for her second. Born in 1983 in Temecula, California, Hammer has been a competitive athlete throughout her life.

Hammer began cycling after her father, Cliff, introduced her to the sport. “My dad was a racer and a local master racer. I used to tag along as a child to his races to watch him. We’d go out together as I got a little older,” Hammer told Mom Generations. “Finally I got a race bike that I had been wanting. But I started when I was about 9 years old and just loved it!”

Four years after taking up the sport, Hammer won her first junior national title. It was the first of many championships she would take home. Hammer knew at a young age that she had what it took to stand out from the rest. “I realized I was good at it when I was about 16 years old. I was in high school, but I was so focused on cycling and wanted to be so good at it,” Hammer said. “I started to see good results when I was in high school and I knew I wanted to keep getting bigger and see how far I could go.”

For an athlete who’s as talented and driven as Hammer, it’s hard to believe that at one point her cycling career came to a screeching halt. Due to physical exhaustion caused by the rigors of competitive cycling, Hammer decided to retire from the sport she loved in 2003. During her brief retirement, she made a living by selling cell phones, making bagels and going to school. When she watched her teammates and competitors participate in the 2004 Summer Olympics, Hammer was inspired to end her short retirement and make a comeback. Her inspirational return has led to historical results, as she became the first American to win three medals at a world championship.

Despite dealing with injuries that stalled her competitiveness during the Beijing Games, Hammer comes into London this year with a lot more confidence and determination. While having a resume that includes a list of accomplishments such as being a 20-time National Champion, 10-time World Cup Gold Medalist, four-time World Track Cycling Champion, and the world record holder for the three-kilometer individual pursuit, all according to her official web site, Hammer enters the London games with loads of confidence that she can add even more to that list.

—SIGMUND SICANGCO