Nelson Vails

A pioneer of black cycling, Nelson Vails, "The Cheetah", became the first African-American to win an Olympic medal in cycling in 1984.
As a young adult, Vails took a job as a bike messenger, pedaling through the New York City’s congested concrete streets to deliver packages to customers. Eventually Vails' cycling took him to velodromes where he caught the attention of the United States National Team coaching staff.

Read more about his rise from bike messenger to Olympic medalist here.  #blackhistorymonth #olympics