If you don’t know me, please let me introduce myself. I’ve been married to my wife Susan for over 21 years. I work for the Federal Aviation Administration in Hampton where I’m an operations manager. I’ve been with the FAA for 27 years. Shortly after moving to Georgia in 1987 I bought a home in Griffin. I lived there for about 3 years and was a member of the Griffin, GA based Spalding Sprockets bike club. I was also a member of the Southern Bicycle League. I even met my wife at an SBL Christmas Party in 1991. I competed in several triathlons back then and numerous foot races as well. I continued to run and entered the occasional foot race after moving to Decatur, Georgia in 1993. In 2004 Susan and I moved south to the Lake Spivey area to be closer to my work. In 2009 I started actively running and competing again. I bought a new tri-bike in August of 2010 before competing in the Augusta HIM that same year. Since then I’ve competed in five other 70.3 triathlons and two full Ironman races. In total I’ve participated in about 46 races since returning to running and biking.
I’m not just a racer. I’ve also volunteered to lead numerous beginner group rides knowing that not everyone wants to ride at 20+ mph. When I saw that the club didn't have any first-aid supplies my wife and I went to the store and purchased, at our expense, a wide assortment of first-aid supplies and a case to carry them for use by the club. Susan was also a club sponsor in 2012 and a team sponsor in 2013. She even cooked the entire feast for the End of Season party in 2012 and helped prepare and cook much of the food for the 2013 party.
We joined SCC in 2011. I was club secretary in 2012 and 2013. During that time I drafted the club bylaws, created the website, setup numerous club accounts including Twitter. I gave us a presence on the web where only Facebook existed before. I posted club pictures and videos online. However, you won’t see me in many of the pictures because I was usually behind the camera. I solicited the Henry County DOT to install Share the Road signs along many of our group ride routes. I did all this to promote the club. During that time the SCC race team was competing regionally and winning awards. They had an even better 2014 race season. Unfortunately, all but one stalwart member of the 2013 SCC board declined to return in 2014.
My vision for SCC in 2015 is to promote cycling through partnerships with other organizations such as Southern Bicycle League, Metro Atlanta Cycling Club (MACC), Georgia Bikes, etc., refocus on club led group rides, nurture beginner and women’s cycling, encourage greater club participation at local cycling events, support SCC’s amazing race team and our sponsors.
No man is an island and I know I that SCC has grown due to the efforts of many individuals including those who have not and probably will never be sufficiently recognized. I would like to thank all of you and especially those who have served as SCC board members and volunteers. None of us get paid for this, we do it because we love it.
Please vote for me for SCC President for 2015!
Regards,
Neil Farmer
