U.S. Olympic Athletes

Matt Updike

  • Home:  Denver, Colorado

In 2008, Matt Updike competed in his first Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. Updike, a handcyclist, has made a significant amount of progress on the road in a small amount of time. In the fall of 1997, Updike was injured in an automobile accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. However, he immediately made his way back to skiing and cycling, his two passions prior to the accident.

Updike began racing on the handcycling circuit in 2000 and did not waste any time making a name for himself. He went from finishing near the back in his first season to winning a bronze medal at the 2002 IPC Cycling World Championships in Germany. In the fall of 2005, Updike participated in an attempt to break the 24-hour distance world record. He was successful, riding his handcycle more than 463 km in 24 hours through the Dutch countryside.

Updike currently works as a mortgage banker for Universal Lending Corp. in Denver, Colo. He enjoys volunteering at Craig Hospital as a peer counselor and with Adaptive Adventures helping kids get started in Paralympic cycling.

Major Achievements:

  • 2011: Silver medal, H1-4, mixed time trial; silver, H1-4 road race; Parapan American Games, Guadalajara, Mexico
  • 2011: Sixth place, Time Trial (H2) – UCI Para-cycling World Cup, Baie-Comeau, Canada
  • 2011: First place, Time Trial & Road Race (H2) – U.S. Paralympics Road Cycling National Championships, Augusta, Ga.
  • 2010: Fourth place, Individual Road Race (H2); seventh place, Individual Time Trial (H2) – UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Quebec, Canada
  • 2008: U.S. Paralympic Team member, Cycling – Beijing, China