Remembering Jackie Crowell
12 June 2018
Former Team Type 1 pro cyclist Jackie Crowell passed away on Wednesday, April 25th after a five-year battle with glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer.
This is a humble effort of the Team Type 1 Foundation and Team Novo Nordisk to pay tribute to an incredible woman who has been connected to our organization since nearly the beginning.
In 2014, Jackie said that her dream was to turn 30–that it would be a blessing to turn 30. She turned 30 on February 16th. Her death is an end to a triumphant life. At only thirty, Jackie achieved more than most can aspire to and she impacted so many lives.
In May 2014, Jackie gave a speech at the Amgen Tour of California’s annual Chairman’s Dinner about her ‘race for life.’ The emotional speech gave a glimpse into her mindset and her request that, “You take advantage of your life and your health, and do the best to enjoy each moment you have.”
We ask that you take a moment to watch this moving speech:
Achievements
Jackie’s successful cycling career included standout accolades as US junior national time trial champion (2006), US National U23 time trial champion (2009), US national track champion in team pursuit (2012), US track champion in the points race (2012) and taking the overall in the GC at Sea Otter Classic (2013). After retiring from competition, Jackie stayed involved in the sport and coached local Atlanta youth at the Dick Lane Velodrome.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Jacquelyn Crowell Memorial Women’s Cycling Fund: https://www.usacdf.org/donate/jacquelyn-crowell/
The Teammate
From TNN Ambassador Morgan Brown
I officially met Jackie at the Team Type 1 training camp before the 2009 season, but I knew about her long before that. At the time, she was a mechanical engineering student at the University of Florida and raced on their cycling team. I raced for Florida State (FSU), and we would frequently race against each other at collegiate races. She beat up on everyone.
Before Team Type 1 hired a director for the women’s team, the team’s general manager called me and asked if I knew of any young up-and-comers. Immediately, I thought of Jackie because it was apparent she had a very bright future in cycling. She went on to prove that by earning numerous national championship titles and racing internationally. She was so diverse and skilled; she could win a criterium and time trial and be able to climb with the best riders out there.
Jackie and I became great friends through cycling and our shared love of training and racing. Also, our husbands are good friends, so the four of us spent a lot of time together where the dominant emotion was always laughter. She was the toughest person I knew and was always so fun to watch race. I really aspired to be a fraction of as good as she was and we both were very encouraging of one another. Jackie was so driven and had aspirations of racing at the Olympics, which I know she could have done if she hadn’t gotten ill.
In 2013, Jackie and I would frequently travel to races together when she was racing for Exergy and I was racing for Team Novo Nordisk. We were both racing solo, so we saw each other as unofficial teammates. That was my favorite year of racing, and a large part of that was due to all the time we spent together on the road and winning some good prize money.
At the Delray Twilight Criterium in Florida, I had won a prime (prize money awarded on a specific lap) and Jackie responded by soloing the rest of the race. Yet on the closing laps, she miscounted and sat up to salute her victory with one lap still to go. I was freaking out! I remember sitting in the top three or four with one lap to go watching her celebrating. Along with the crowd and the race announcer, I started yelling at her. She was literally only six to second seconds in front of us. She held us off, but it was a close call and very exciting. We definitely had a good laugh about it afterwards.
Over the years, I learned how to be a better bike racer and be more tactful in races through Jackie. But the impression she left on me was so much more significant than cycling; I learned patience and how to be a better friend and person because of her. I learned that life is unexpected and can be unfair. Losing Jackie at the age of 30 was and will always be a tremendous heartbreak for many.
Jackie was so beautiful, witty, and intelligent. She loved her cats and Daniel more than anything. She was an incredible athlete, but more importantly, a great friend who I love dearly and will miss forever.