Bryan Larsen

Quick Facts

• Bryan was born with a club foot and after exploring many other team and ball sports at a young age he found the bike at 12 years old
• Cycling was perfect as it was an outlet that was both exhilarating and not taxing on his ankle
• He was networked with a number of other young riders and racers who showed him the ropes to the sport
• He raced around California during his junior years before moving off to college
• While in college he helped run the UC-Irvine bike club while also racing in the elite p/12 ranks
• After college, Bryan went to the Netherlands to race for a Dutch team for a season. This experience widened his horizons, his understanding for the sport, and his appreciation for how hard he could push himself
• A few years after returning to the US, Bryan began to enjoy the sport from a different and more passive lens. While he still loved the competition and the sport, he simply didn't have the bandwidth to pursue it as he had done years before
• Then in July of 2019, while attending a local pro race for fun, he was involved in an accident that threw him to the ground face-first at roughly 40mph. Knocked out and transported to a local hospital, he found out that he couldn't move most of his right arm. He was diagnosed with a Brachial Plexus (nerve) injury originating at his c5 and c6 vertebrae
• After months of rehab, he began to explore the idea of riding again, and thanks to a few USA para-cycling athletes, he was encouraged to give Para-Cycling a try once he was ready
• The excitement and opportunity to pursue international paracycling helped him focus on his recovery and train to the best of his ability. It kept him motivated to not give up
• Unfortunately, most of this recovery happened in parallel with the Covid pandemic and put a hold on his opportunity to ride with learn more about the program.
• In 2022, Bryan set his targets on Track World championships in France. Attending several camps and national championships earned him a spot on the team.
• He made his world championships debut in France, which inspired and motivated him to continue racing competitively in para-cycling

Paralympic Experience

• 1-time Paralympian
• Paralympic Games Paris 2024, 6th (C4 - 4km Pursuit - Men), 14th (C4-5 - 1000m Time Trial - Men)

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 2024 – bronze (C4 - Omnium - Men, C4 - Scratch Race - Men), 4th (C4 - 4km Pursuit - Men), 9th (C4 - 1000m Time Trial - Men), 13th (C1-5 Team Sprint - Open)
• Years of participation: C1-5 Team Sprint - Open 2024; C4 - 1000m Time Trial - Men 2024; C4 - 4km Pursuit - Men 2024; C4 - Omnium - Men 2024; C4 - Scratch Race - Men 2024; C5 - 1000m Time Trial - Men 2022, 2023; C5 - 4km Pursuit - Men 2022, 2023; C5 - Omnium - Men 2022, 2023; C5 - Scratch Race - Men 2022, 2023
• Medals: 2 (2 bronze)
• Bronze – 2024 (C4 - Omnium - Men, C4 - Scratch Race - Men)