Blacksburg鈥檚 Cameron and Madison Lee: Twin domination
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Eighteen-year-old twin sisters, Cameron and Madison Lee, share more than just DNA and a shy smile鈥hey both chase a love of speed. Madison speeds down mountains in Enduro Bike racing and Cameron strides through cross country courses.
Both ladies began biking with their family around 2017 on trails. For several years both Cameron and Madison were developing their biking skills at bike parks, as members of the New River Valley and Blacksburg High School teams. But around their sophomore year, their interest split. Cameron found a love of running and competing and Madison decided to pursue Enduro (a form of downhill biking with a mixture of time downhill sections and non-timed uphill pedaling) that allows for less head to head competition and more individual goals setting.
Madison is a member of the TakeAim Devo team based out of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Her preferred places to ride our Pandapas Pond, Massanutten western slopes, Bryce, and Snowshoe. She has met a lot of new people who are 鈥渘ice and chilled out鈥�. The overall vibe of mountain biking and Enduro fits Madison鈥榮 personality, but she does consider herself somewhat of a daredevil. “This summer, I did a big drop at Snowshoe without having to follow someone down the terrain,鈥� said Madison. She seeks out the big jumps and the thrill of being airborne. When asked if she has ever had any major wrecks, Madison laughs and gives a very laid-back answer, 鈥淚鈥檝e never broken a bone.鈥�
Enduro biking has quickly become one of the top forms of downhill cycling. This season, which started in February and finished up in November, Madison set some ambitious goals for herself. She decided to race in the professional category. So far, she has won around $700 as a professional and collected many first and second place finishes. She came in 4th in nationals in July at Rock Creek in North Carolina.
This competitor does have superstitious rituals, as all major athletes do. Madison wears only two very special pairs of socks depending on the color of her outfit. She makes sure to be well rested for competition and she doesn鈥檛 eat anything that might upset her stomach before race day.
Like her twin. Cameron also has some specific rituals in her sport of cross country running. She wears the same pair of socks and never puts those socks on until it鈥檚 time to put on the spikes (special cross country shoes that grip into the ground). She also eats the exact same flavor of Cliff Bar before every race.
Cameron runs on the award-winning Blacksburg High School team. In November, the BHS Cross Country Women鈥檚 team won the Class 4 Region 4D and brought home third place in the state finals. At the state meet, Cameron was second on the team to cross the finish line and 17th overall. Cameron set some ambitious goals for herself this year as well. She had a personal record at all venues she raced and achieved a 5K time under 20 minutes.
Speed is always on her mind. Cameron reveals that while running in races, she is thinking mostly of staying with the group and maintaining speed. 鈥淚 just want to be fast. I don’t want a bad result.鈥� That’s what draws her to the sport. The investment of time and effort doesn鈥檛 feel like work because it鈥檚 being with friends and maintaining that high level of excellence that has come to be expected out of Blacksburg runners. Cameron enjoys the challenge and is proud of the hard work they have all put in since June. 鈥淚 really like the workouts and just hang out with my friends. We’ve all gotten really close because we are together so much. The women鈥檚 team uses the baton from the track season to knight each other before each race. The success of the team surely makes them Queens of the Course.
Time off doesn鈥檛 really exist for Cameron. She will begin practice for indoor track through the winter months and outdoor track in the spring of 2024. She credits Coach Chad Cox, and 2023 graduate Mallory Cox, for pushing her to try indoor track her sophomore year. 鈥淢ore people should try running it鈥檚 easy to pick up. Why not just try it?鈥�
The Lee twins are dominating in their respective sports but still remain each other鈥榮 biggest fan. They also both acknowledge the assistance and sacrifice of their parents and younger brother Alex, for their ability to participate in sports. When they are not training, they are usually outdoors. Both girls developed their athletic ability on the ski slopes as young children and always look forward to the first snowfall on Snowshoe mountain. They both love animals, reading, and hanging out with friends. They have not decided on college plans yet but will surely be running and biking around the college campuses they choose. And they will be doing it with speed on their minds and shy smiles on their faces.
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