Christian Acker // Cycling
Motto: “Ctrl + Alt + Del. Control yourself, alter your thoughts, delete negativity”
High school track star (and future cyclist) Christian Acker snagged a South Carolina state championship win before moving on to an NCAA career on the Clemson University Cross Country and Track teams. After running out of eligibility – but not the desire for competition or speed – Christian joined the Clemson University Cycling Team. Despite his late introduction to the sport, Christian was able to snag a bronze medal in the USA Cycling Collegiate Cyclocross National Championship, and a top 10 in the USA Cycling Collegiate Individual Time Trial National Championship. His proudest moment came as the anchor for the collegiate cyclocross relay. “We were in sixth when I started my lap, but with luck and guidance from my teammates on where I could make up time I was able to pass the fifth, fourth and third place riders. We made the podium, a rag-tag band of rookie ‘cross riders who never gave up.”
After graduation Christian launched himself into both his Air Force and cycling career, commissioning and earning his wings in the USAF, as well as upgrading to Cat 1 and vying for UCI Cyclocross points at US Pro CX Series events. He also achieved a Cat 1 license in cross country mountain bike, and category 2 in road racing. In 2022 Christian made it onto the podium at the US Pro MTB Cup Cat 1/Pro race in Fayetteville, and accomplished his goal of an overall win at the Oklahoma Tour de Dirt series, Oklahoma’s premier cross country mountain bike series.
When he’s not flying or racing, Christian hosts cyclocross practice rides and skills clinics. He helped found and maintain local Oklahoma mountain bike trails, and in 2021 began putting on a cyclocross race. Christian finds a huge amount of personal satisfaction in his reputation as a fun local race promoter and course designer.
During the 2022 mountain bike season and the 2022/2023 Cyclocross season Christian is focused on the USA Cycling Marathon National Championships and Cyclocross Nationals (both UCI elite and single speed categories). He’ll also compete in the legendary gravel events in his area, and any UCI cyclocross race he can squeeze into his busy schedule.