On a sunny spring day University of Oregon sophomore John Morehouse clips his shoes into the pedals of his bike and takes off to ride. Today, Morehouse is an avid cyclist whose training schedule takes extreme priority in his daily life. Morehouse describes himself as a person who dives fully into whatever he is doing; for him it is all or nothing. Currently, he is completely devoted to making a comeback into the world of cycling where he was once a major participant. For some, this would be an overwhelming lifestyle change, however, for Morehouse, living this way creates the stability and focus that allows him to attain success in each endeavor he enters.

Morehouse’s entrance into cycling was not as graceful as one would assume after listening to his many accomplishments. Oddly enough, cycling was not his first athletic inclination. After having a double leg surgery to repair tendons in his legs, he was given the option by his doctor to run, swim, or cycle. To him, this was an extremely undesirable situation, because none of these activities particularly appealed to him. Despite early hesitations, Morehouse began cycling in the seventh grade.  He was greatly encouraged to persist in the sport by his father, who picked up biking alongside Morehouse. At first he struggled with the sport, allowing his competitive nature to discourage him when he was not immediately exceptional. However, eventually something inside of him ignited his passion and his competitiveness began to propel him forward rather than hold him back. He states, “When I started, I was like pretty terrible at it. People were telling me I would never be a good cyclist, and all I ever want to do is prove people wrong.” His desire to disprove his peers quickly transformed into a passion for the sport. By his sophomore year of high school he had begun a rigorous training schedule, pushing himself daily to become better and better. Eventually, Morehouse was able to hold his ground against top cyclists in the state of California, winning fifth in the state for cycling when he was only sixteen years old.

After working his way up from rock bottom, Morehouse felt he had accomplished all he was capable of in cycling and was left wondering what was next for him. Much like each transition he makes, his exit from cycling was spur of the moment and a complete severance. He attempted to pick up running in order to maintain athleticism, however, was not able to find the same passion for it that he found with cycling. His freshman year of college he began to cycle again only to find himself discouraged when he discovered that in the time he had taken off some of the skill he worked so hard to gain had dissolved. This repetitive spiral continued until fall of his sophomore year at the University of Oregon when he decided it was time to give it his all and make an official comeback.

John is now an involved member of the University of Oregon Cycling Team, and will take over as team president beginning next fall, the start of his junior year. His passion and drive to improve as a cyclist can be seen in his spirit as well as through his continued successes. His roommate, and a fellow member of the cycling team, Austin Arguello, praises Morehouse for his dedication describing him as, “Very determined, very focused. When he gets focused on something he puts all of his effort into it. So, I am very excited to see him succeed next year.” Morehouse looks forward to the opportunities he will have as team president to help others become stronger in cycling. For him, working with and teaching people is more gratifying than his own personal achievements. Morehouse enjoys watching the improvement in his peers with the knowledge that he was a major factor in their accomplishments.

Morehouse uses the stability that cycling creates for him to maintain a well balanced life. He continues to work hard in school, be a leader on the cycling team, and also be a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity. Andrew Haroldson, a sophomore in Sigma Nu, had the chance to meet Morehouse this spring and expressed that his love for biking was clear from the start. Haroldson states, “John became a candidate of Sigma Nu this spring, and going into it we knew he loved biking. But getting to know him better he’s really passionate about it, just this spring he’s traveled all over the west coast for races.” He continues to impress those who surround him with his commitment and intensity. Despite his obvious skill, Morehouse remains modest stating, “For my own personal results, I don’t like to talk about how I think I’ll do, or how I think I’ll place. I really like to show up and let my legs do the talking.” Throughout his cycling career Morehouse has developed an internal drive that he refers to as “the tiger.” For him, the tiger is a mixture his anger, passion, stamina, and overwhelming ambition to win. It is what has propelled him forward when he felt hopeless initially when learning to cycle, and what makes him come back to cycling after each break he takes.

In the future, Morehouse is unsure what he will do with cycling, but knows that it is something that will continue to make him a better person. He hopes to mentor younger riders and to improve his own skill overall. While he cannot say with certainty that he will become professional, he knows that cycling will always be an important commitment in his life.