World Champion, Kelly Catlin Commits Suicide At 23

World Champion, Kelly Catlin Commits Suicide At 23

Kelly Catlin, a member of the U.S. women’s pursuit team that earned silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and one of America’s finest and most remarkable cyclist, committed suicide at age 23.

The three-time world cycling champion died Thursday night, at the age of 23, in her on-campus residence at Stanford University; her family members confirmed that she died by suicide.

“There isn’t a minute that goes by that we don’t think of her and think of the wonderful life she could have lived,” Mark Catlin wrote. “There isn’t a second in which we wouldn’t freely give our lives in exchange for hers.

The graduate student at Stanford, Catlin was pursuing a degree in computational and mathematical engineering, picked up cycling at age 17 after suffering injuries from running. She showed immediate talent. She joined Rally Pro Cycling in 2017. In a statement, the team described Kelly Catlin who committed suicide as “a friend and teammate.”

“The news of Kelly Catlin’s passing has hit the team hard. Losing an incredible person at such a young age is very difficult,” read the statement. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family and those who were fortunate enough to know her best.”

World Champion, Kelly Catlin Commits Suicide At 23