Mullican brothers feed off speed
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Soon they will be out on the road. Their world. The world of the racer. The long ribbon of asphalt that will take them who knows where. Perhaps to national prominence. Perhaps to the top of their sport. But before they can get there, there will be long hours of training and grueling courses to challenge and conquer. Races to win. A world of competition where, as always, speed is the key.
It’s all about speed. And determination. The brothers seem to have a lot of both.
“It’s a way of life,” says Shawn. “This whole household is all about racing now. You can’t do it any other way and be successful.”
Shawn, 17, and Shay, 15, currently race as part of the Nashville-based TriStar Cycling Team. They recently competed locally at the Highland Rim Cycling Classic. It was the second year at the race for Shawn, who placed first overall in his age group at last year’s race. This year, in the 17-18 age group, Shawn came in second in the road race, second in the time trials and second in the crits, which through a point system, put him in first place again in his age group overall.
Shay, in his first year of competing on the difficult course, also had a good day, coming in fourth in the 15-16 age group in the road race, third in the time trials, and first in the crits, putting him second in his age group overall.
These young competitors are making a name for themselves regionally. In their respective age groups and categories, and after some recent wins are posted, both should rank second in the state. And TriStar Cycling Team President Stephen Collins is impressed with the brother’s potential.
“I think both of them can go as far as they want to,” he said. “They’re great young men. It’s really refreshing to see 15- and 17-year-old guys focusing on things that are challenging and healthy as opposed to getting into trouble and all that. They’re amazingly committed. Their parents are behind them. For our team it’s just been a real pleasure to have both of them around, to mentor them and help them grow.”
Collins says both have a great future in front of them if they dedicate themselves to the sport.
“I think it’s very possible Shawn will compete at the national level,” he said. “Maybe get a collegiate scholarship. I think if he’s focused, the sky’s the limit. Shay’s a little young. I don’t know what his goals are, but he’s certainly got the same DNA, so he’s got the same potential I think.”
Shawn, who just finished his junior year at WCHS, says he plans to make racing a big part of his future.
“I’m going to work on getting a college scholarship,” he says. “Ride through college, and I’d like to turn pro right after college.”
And 15-year-old Shay seems poised to carry on the dynasty.
“I don’t have near as a prestigious a record as Shawn,” Shay says. “My first race I think I got fifth.” As opposed to Shawn who won his first outing, but was quick to point out his brother had a more competition. “I was a little discouraged at first,” Shay said. “But Shawn talked me into keeping on racing, like a good brother. So I got back out there, and my second race, I think I got third.”
Then Shay managed to win the Warren County Triathlon in the 13 to 14 age group, along with other races including the Sonic Sumner Road Race where both brothers placed first in their age groups.
“Now I’m number two in the state and I’m shooting for first,” he said.
For his part, Shawn is obviously proud of his younger brother.
“Shay’s coming on up,” Shawn said. “He’s going to be some competition in the next couple of years, so it’ll be interesting to see how it pans out.”
As it stands now, though, the two are very much teammates.
“Going into a race, if we’re racing together,” Shay says. “I’m always setting him up for the win. He has a year on me, so I can help him, but I’m not in a position to win. So I try to set him up for that, and try to support him as much as possible.”
Shawn says he appreciates having his brother at his back.
“It’s nice,” he says. “It’s good having somebody that you really know that well behind you because you know how he’s going to react to each situation.”
Of course the dedication and sacrifice required to succeed in this competitive sport spills over to the rest of the family, namely dad Phil and Mom Tina. The financial support, not to mention the investment in time, is substantial, but the two obviously consider their son’s involvement in the sport a blessing.
“This will keep them on the right track,” said Tina. “We’ve been very lucky.”
But today, the brothers are simply suiting up to go out and have their pictures taken by an ambitious photographer who wants to try and capture the sense of speed their sport embodies. So they ride up and down a hill on their sleek machines over and over again. But even as they do so, they can’t resist a bit of good-natured competition between themselves, vying to be the one who sizzles by on the pavement first.
Oh yeah. It’s all about speed.