On a sunny afternoon at Piedmont University, the sun casts a warm glow on the campus. The cycling team is seen roaming around, preparing for their weekly ride. Among these collegiate athletes is Reagen Patishall, a freshman majoring in finance and who loves cycling.
Patishall is not like any other collegiate athlete. She has won not just one or two, but 21 United States Cycling National Championships. She represents the U.S. as a freshman in college.
Reagen didn’t start out cycling when she was young. Growing up, she downhill skied, which was a winter sport. At the age of seven, Patishall wanted to try something new during the summer, and it was cycling.
Patishall quickly fell in love with the sport and began to win races.
At the age of 15, she went to her first national championship and won the 15-16 spring tournament and the omni.
“One of my memorable experiences from the early days would have to be winning the BLR all-stars,” said Patishall. “BLR was a community program at the Velodrome, just teaching kids how to ride around the velodrome.”
Cycling is a tough sport to get into a rhythm. It takes time and effort just to become the best. That’s why coaches are here to help. One of the biggest influences in Patishall’s career is her current club cycling coach, Andrew Harris. He has been with Patishall for six years and has helped her become what she is today.
“One workout doesn’t get you to where you want to be, but a hundred will,” said Piedmont head cycling coach Jame Carney.
Being a newcomer to college is very scary and stressful. There are tons of classes, assignments, and social events that many college students deal with, but for Patishall, it’s just cycling practices, races, and passing classes.
Balancing academics and athletics is very challenging, requiring excellent time management.
“The biggest challenge will be to maximize the time she has here,” said coach Carney. “Creating the best class schedules she can to keep chopping away at her degree without compromising her training is the key. I was also in the same boat when I was at Penn State and Fort Lewis so I’m aware of this extreme juggling. It can be done. You can go to school and still reach your physical potential.”
The Piedmont cycling team is very supportive. They all want everyone, like Reagan, to do well. They make freshmen feel welcome on the team and want them to do well at races.
“They are very encouraging and motivating for me to continue on what I need to do,” said Patishall. “They are very supportive of my goals, even though my goals are very different from theirs, and they are a very great team.”
This year’s cycling track season ended pretty quickly for Patishall. Getting the silver medal for Piedmont at the Track National Championship is an achievement she would be happy about.
As the next year’s season is upon her, Patishall hopes to cycle ahead of the competition and make an even bigger mark at Piedmont.
“Next year, I will definitely win a national championship for Piedmont the track and maybe a medal for the road. Then with the U.S., I will continue to go to camps, the Nations Cup, and potentially Worlds,” said Patishall.
“I think Reagen’s cycling opportunities could interrupt her traditional path to a degree here at Piedmont. When the National Team comes to a calling, sometimes it is smart to answer the call,” said coach Carney. “Piedmont is the perfect place to help Reagen reach her full potential as a cyclist while pursuing a degree. The 2028 Olympics are a real possibility for her.”
With her freshman year just beginning, Patishall has her sights set on the future. Her dreams of competing at the national level are near coming true. Her teammates and coaches believe in her and can’t wait to see what she has to offer. The lesson she has learned from cycling is to push through it, and the results will come.
“I would really love to be a 2028 Olympian in L.A., representing the U.S. on the world stage,” said Patishall.
