“My passion for biking probably came from my dad. A few years ago, he bought a road bike, which is a lot lighter and more aerodynamic in order to cut through the wind. I saw him riding it, and he said ‘Hey Neel, let’s go ride.’. We did, and I would pedal as fast as I could, but I could never catch up to him, because his road bike was so light and fast. At one point I asked my dad if I could give it a try. He let me, and man, I was hooked. Going fast is my thing. Once I get into the cadence, I’m in the zone, and I just feel unstoppable. When you get into that first rhythm, it feels like everything is going to work out. He eventually upgraded to a newer bike and gave me the old one, so I’ve been riding that for about a year now. It’s not only a good way for me to get exercise, but it relieves all my stress from school. I’ve also found a bunch of organizations that host charity bike rides. I competed in one last year, the MS 150, where we rode 150 miles over the course of two days to raise funds to support cases of multiple sclerosis. I have another one coming up, the Wish 100, where we’ll be riding a hundred kilometers to support Make-A-Wish patients. It’s just a good way to give back- it’s the thought that I’m benefitting, others are benefitting, and it’s just good for everyone.”