To the curious student, Exeter is a wonderland of opportunities he or she might not try at home … such as competitive cycling. Jennifer Stebbins ’05 of Bedford, NH, came to Exeter last year with little cycling experience. But as a member of Exeter’s varsity cycling team, Jen placed third in the New England Cycling Championships and fourth in the overall girls division last spring. “Cycling is just another example of how much Exeter has to offer,” she says. “Certainly I never would have gotten involved with bikes at my public high school.”

Anne Rankin ’92, biology instructor and co-coach of the varsity cycling team, wants to ensure that any student who wishes to try cycling is able to do so, bike or no bike. “In my three seasons working with the team,” she says, “there have always been students interested in trying the sport who don’t have the resources to buy a bike.” Rankin feels it is too much to ask students to invest in expensive equipment before knowing whether or not they like the sport. Now they don’t have to.

Last spring, Anne made a proposal to the Richard Ward Day Fund to purchase five bikes for use by cycling team members without the resources to buy their own. The Richard Ward Day Fund was established in 1980 in memory of the Academy’s 10th principal. The fund supports innovative faculty or student projects that will enrich the school community. Anne’s proposal was granted, and head cycling coach Don Mills was able to purchase five Cannondale bikes at wholesale prices. Says Anne, “These are nice bikes—not top-of-the-line, but very appropriate for high school athletes, and good enough to last for a long time.” The bikes are reserved for cycling team use, and the Academy athletic department will maintain them.

Cycling is one of the few sports at Exeter that offer inexperienced athletes the opportunity to compete at the varsity level. It is also one of the few co-ed teams. Daily practices see the whole group, coaches included, riding within a 20 to 50 mile radius of campus. For Jen Stebbins, this is a time to enjoy being off campus amid beautiful scenery and let go of the stresses of school. Last year, about half of the team’s 15 members had some kind of cycling experience before coming to the Academy. Looking to the season ahead, Jen hopes that if students know they don’t have to purchase a $700 bike to try the sport, the team will have more members this year. “I love knowing that a strong cyclist will never be turned away from the team because he or she cannot afford to buy a bike,” she says.