ROANOKE, Va. – Henry Schumm is one of the top high school mountain bikers in the United States. He’s come a long way since he started racing interscholastically at the age of 10.
“When we first started out he was about here on me,” said Henry’s Coach Chris Berry, pointing to his chest. “And I woke up one day a couple of years ago and he was towering over me and it’s kind of a startling experience.”
Berry estimates he and Henry have ridden 10,000 miles together in training. All those miles resulted in Henry’s greatest win yet.
In November, Henry took first in the National Interscholastic Cycling Association eastern regional championship, besting riders from 11 states.
“I was I knew I was one of the faster riders. I wasn’t sure how fast my competition would be. But coming across the finish line, seeing all my family on the sidelines and everybody outside the tape. It was really ... it made me happy … I couldn’t be happier with the result,” Schumm said.
Berry shared some of the reasons Henry had reason to be optimistic.
“Since the fall of 2019, he has raced in a total of 26 VAHS and NICA events, not including the regional championship. He won 18 of those races and finished second five times. He has five overall series wins and a second place overall. He has three series sweeps in which he won every race. In 26 races, he has only failed to make it to the podium twice. Once was a DNF [did not finish] with a flat tire. No other rider in the history of interscholastic cycling in Virginia has a record that comes anywhere close to that, and he is still eligible for three more seasons of racing,” Berry said.
“I just really liked it and then I decided to push it even further to reach the level I am now,” Henry said. “I just actually enjoyed going to practice and you know, I played soccer and it just wasn’t my thing.”
Henry’s dad said it doesn’t hurt that the family lives in cycling-rich Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
“We just feel like Henry’s grown up here in Roanoke. And we feel like he’s a real product of this city with all the cycling culture we have here. So we’re super grateful to be in Roanoke,” said Jonathan Harris, Henry’s father.
“Oh yeah, Roanoke it’s amazing. I got the Cove, I got Mill Mountain, Pandapas Pond (near Blacksburg) and there’s all kinds of trails everywhere,” Henry added.
Berry said he just knew Henry was special.
“I guess it was just a hunch in the early days. But he has consistently proven to me over the years that I made the right choice,” he said.
For years, Berry had been a volunteer coach for youth cycling in Roanoke. A few years ago he gave it up but continued coaching Henry.
Which led to him cheering Henry on during the NICA championship.
“As far as my nerves go, I was a basket case. I tend to be very nervous just because I know how much he has invested in it personally and I am fearful for the potential disappointment if things don’t go the way we hope they will,” Berry said.
“Oh, man. It was fantastic. His first regional championship up there and in Maryland. And so we were we were all over the moon for sure,” added Harris. “Super proud of him.”
Chris still rides with Henry when it works, but even though Berry rides a thousand miles a month, Henry is just too fast.
“Over the years, I’ve gotten older and he’s gotten stronger and we just don’t have as many opportunities to ride together anymore. So look forward to the days that I can make him ride at my pace,” he said.
As for Henry’s future, he moves into a tougher category next year facing older, stronger riders from across the country.
Is he worried?
“I think I think it’ll be okay. If we get in good training,” Henry said.
Testing at the Roanoke College Human Performance Lab suggests that Henry’s physiology is amazing. Berry says Schumm’s VO2 max, a test of an athlete’s cardiovascular system and aerobic endurance, is 73.4, which puts him in the elite category at only 16 years old.
On the racecourse, he’s passed all the tests so far. The question is how far does he want to go?
“I would love to ride my entire life,” Schumm said. “I’m not sure what level or how so but yeah, I’d be open to the idea of racing pro. Or, collegian. Or whatever. I just want to ride for my whole life,” he said.