About Bobby
Bobby McMullen has survived diabetes, loss of his vision, kidney failure, years of dialysis and two kidney/pancreas transplants. He has broken more bones than he can count. In spite of challenges that would take most people out, Bobby lives life full-on. He is a passionate extreme sport competitor -- a tenacious adrenaline junkie who competes alongside fully able racers.
Born and raised in Northern California, Bobby makes his home in Redding. He is a natural athlete who was a high school sports star in spite of being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 12. Bobby attended Weber State University in Utah where he skied for the Wildcats ski team. He earned a degree in Political Science and returned to Northern California to begin law school.
In 1993, during his first year of law school, Bobby lost his eyesight as a result of complications related to diabetes. It was a sudden loss. He was totally blind in a month.
Undeterred from pursuing his love of competitive sports, Bobby learned to ski with a guide. Within a year he qualified for the U.S. Disabled Ski Team. He spent seven years as a member of the U.S. Team, was a two-time U.S. Disabled Overall Downhill champion, and earned his spot on the Nagano Paralympics ski team.
During competition in the 1996 World Disabled Alpine Championships in Austria, Bobby’s kidneys began to fail. He was on dialysis before the end of the year, and received his first double transplant (kidney and pancreas) in 1997.
Bobby was back on the ski circuit within months. He competed in the 1998 Paralympics in Nagano, Japan, taking fifth place in the Alpine downhill ski competition. He continued to race with the U.S. team until his body rejected his transplant organs. He endured another two years of dialysis before receiving his second double transplant in 2003.
After the second transplant, Bobby renewed his childhood love of bike riding. He was competitive in 23 mountain bike races in the year following surgery, and has not slowed down since. He works with a “ride guide” who rides ahead of him and calls out obstacles. Since 2004, Bobby has raced in at least 25 downhill, cross-country, and 8- and 12-hour mountain bike events each year.
Mountain bike riding demands extraordinary athleticism, coordination, focus and courage. Riding blind with a guide requires extraordinary faith and trust. Bobby exhibits all of these traits as he faces adversity on and off the bike.
Bobby spent the summer of 2010 in Europe where he raced the Euro Cup SuperEnduro in Sauze d’Oulx, Italy, followed by the Megavalanche race in Alpe d’Huez, France. He is the first visually impaired rider (let alone two-time double transplant recipient) ever to have competed in these races. The Megavalanche is one of the most extreme mtb races on the planet: 1,000 riders start at the same time for a race that drops more than 10,000 feet in 19 miles. It’s just plain nuts – Google it.
In August 2010 Bobby was keynote speaker at the Windham, NY, World Cup MTB event, raced the World Cup citizens’ course and participated in motivational events for the Windham Resort Adaptive Sports Program.
By participating in these events, Bobby has been able to spread awareness of and appreciation for disabled athletes, to inspire and motivate thousands of people world-wide, and to demonstrate what is possible in life.
Bobby’s passion is mountain bike downhill competition, though he competes in cross-country races as well. In 2006 he completed the 3,000-mile Race Across America, riding for Team Donate Life to raise money for transplant research.
Bobby’s participation in the 2005 Nissan XTERRA World Championship Mountain Bike Triathlon was covered in a CBS Sports Spectacular (February 2006). He has been featured in numerous publications, including Sports Illustrated, Decline Magazine, Bike Magazine, Dirt Rag Magazine, Mountain Biking UK Magazine, BIKE Magazin Germany, Los Angeles Times.com, New Zealand’s Spoke Magazine, and many others.
He recently appeared in the film Kranked 8: Revolve, which features the world’s top mountain bike riders, and was profiled in Look to the Ground (both from Radical Films (2009) – www.radical-films.com). Both films are currently screening at film festivals around the world.
Bobby’s life and philosophies are subjects of the international award-winning film, The Way Bobby Sees It (2008, Poison Oak Productions – www.poisonoakproductions.com). The film follows Bobby’s preparation for and competition in the 2007 Downieville Classic Mountain Bike Race, a 17-mile course said to be the country’s most challenging downhill race.
Bobby shares his life experiences and inspiration with audiences worldwide through speaking engagements and film screenings.
SPOKESPERSON FOR
Santa Cruz Bicycles, Wilderness Trail Bikes, SRSuntours-Cycling, Clif Products, Electric Visual, Race Face Performance Products, Kali Protectives, Swobo Clothing, Mace Gear, Crankbrothers, Hayes Bicycle Group, Gamut USA, GoPro Cameras and Skullcandy.
Bobby has volunteered for and spoken on behalf of the Lighthouse for the Blind, American Association of Kidney Patients, BloodSource, American Diabetes Association, Da Vita Dialysis Centers, Focus Film Festival, NorCalHigh School Mountain Bike League, and the Bay Area Outreach and Educational Program, the Windham Adaptive Sports Program, and many others.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Team Affiliations:- Santa Cruz Bicycles
- Wilderness Trail Bikes
- Team Donate Life (2006)
- U.S. Paralympic Alpine Ski Team Member (1998) – Nagano, Japan
- U.S. Disabled Ski Team Member (1994-2001) – Championship Team 1996 and 2000
- Megavalanche (Alpe d’Huez, France) – First blind rider to race the Mega
- Euro Cup Super Enduro (Sauze d’Oulx, Italy)
- UCI World Cup MTB Citizens’ Downhill (Windham, NY)
- Crankworx (Whistler, B.C., Canada) – First blind rider to race Whistler
- Downieville Classic Mountain Bike Race (Downieville, CA) –America’s longest and most demanding downhill mountain bike race
- Race Across America -- Completed the 3,000+ mile bicycle race to raise awareness and raise money for transplant research
- Hood River Super-D (Hood River, OR)
- Sea Otter Classic (Monterey, CA)
- Infineon Cougar Classic (Sonoma, CA)
- U.S. Mountain Bike National Championship
- Nissan XTERRA World Championship Mountain Bike Triathlon – Spirit Award
- 1998 Winter Paralympics (U.S. Paralympic Alpine Ski Team) (placed fifth) – 1998 – Nagano, Japan
- U.S. Disabled World Cup Finals Medalist (Giant Slalom, Super G, Downhill)
- U.S. Disabled Alpine Championships Medalist (Two time Overall Downhill Champion, Overall Super G, Overall Combined, Blind Class Downhill, Blind Class Super G, Blind Class Giant Slalom)
- World Disabled Invitational Giant Slalom Medalist
- Western States Championships Medalist (Overall Giant Slalom, Slalom, Blind Giant Slalom, Blind Super G)
- Columbia Crest Medalist (Giant Slalom, Blind Giant Slalom, Blind Super G)
- Western Regional Championships Medalist (Overall Slalom and Super G, Blind Slalom and Super G)
- Eastern States Nationals Medalist (Overall, Blind Super G)
- World Disabled Alpine Championships Medalist (Downhill, Giant Slalom, Super G)
