Athletes of the Week: Erik Carlson & Josh Hemintakoon

Cycling, a sport of grueling endurance and break-neck pace, never seems to draw the same viewership as other sports at the professional and amature levels. Despite winning back-to-back New England Championships in 2014 and 2015, the Exeter varsity cycling team is one of the least discussed teams on campus. This year’s cycling captains are much like the sport they love: quiet, humble, stoic and hard working.Seniors Josh Hemintakoon and Erik Carlson are the co-captains of the varsity cycling team. Together they work to cultivate a culture of winning and a sense of family amongst the team. They have shared successful careers at PEA, winning 1st overall in their league four years ago and 2nd place overall the last two seasons.The two captains are a testament to the opportunities that Exeter can give you if you take advantage of them. While Carlson touched a bike for the first time his prep year, Hemintakoon originally started out on the water rather than the asphalt. His prep year you could have found him in the stern of the Sanborn, one of the Exeter crew team’s boats. However the next year he decided that he had outgrown the role of coxswain and took a shot at cycling. “I made the team and got to use one of the few loaner road bikes that the school provides to FA students,” Hemintakoon said.Hemintakoon continued to persevere through his second year at the academy to keep cycling. “I got a job at a local bike shop turning a wrench and doing sales. I saved up for my own road bike, a full carbon Trek Émonda; my parents wanted no part in the expenses of cycling,” he said. On his days off he would go on rides to train for the upcoming season in the spring.Now Hemintakoon and Carlson try to remember their beginnings, as they lead the team into their senior season. “A big part of being captain is helping the newcomers learn how to pump the tires and things like that,” says Carlson. He went on to say that the largest part of being a leader is leading by example, “You work hard, so other people are incentivised to work hard.” Hemintakoon also leads by example, running stairs in preparation for the season and having a superior mechanical knowledge of bikes from his summer job; however Hemintakoon also shows a more playful side on race day. “Every race since my first I’ve brought gummy bears for post-race nourishment. Nowadays I buy a couple two pound bags from Walgreens to bring to the races and share with my teammates,” Hemintakoon said.As well as they perform on the bike, what truly distinguishes Hemintakoon and Carlson is the impact they have had on their teammates. Upper Jamie Demopoulos said, “They are great friends who always help with stuff like homework on the bus.”Upper Nikita Ivanov noted Hemintakoon’s generosity, “Never has he refused to help me out with my gear. Even when he was in a hurry himself, getting ready for practice.” Ivanov also described the inspiration which Erik Carlson has been for him, “During pre-season, aspiring to be on boys A, I would repeat to myself: “If Carlson could do it with his tiny thighs, I can do it.”Carlson encouraged his teammates with his words not just his actions. Upper Sarah Shepley talked about how before every race her lower year she would ask Carlson, “Is this race hard?” to which he would calmly respond, without fail, “Nah, it’s not that bad, this is my favorite race.”The two seniors have high hopes for their final season and beyond. Carlson sighted that the team will have five division A riders, as opposed to the typical three to four. Carlson also plans to ride in the U.S. Adult League this summer and into college possibly.Hemintakoon doesn’t plan on racing competitively in college, but looks forward to biking for the love of the sport, “Even though I’ve spent over a decade wrestling, I know that I won’t be able to lace up and get on the mat in my 60’s. I will, however, be able to cycle. I’ve made countless friends in the cycling world and I look forward to being a part of it for years to come.”