SAN DIEGO, CA (BRAIN)—Kimberlee Caledonia passed away on March 19 after courageously battling brain cancer for more than two years. She was 45 years old.
Her athletic career was varied and exceptional, said her husband Dan Gindling, who runs Bicycle Newswire. In the 1980s she pioneered mountain bike racing, gaining national stature as a top-three competitor in the United States. In addition, she raced road bikes and was invited to the U.S. Olympic Training Center on numerous occasions for training.
At home, Caledonia could be found riding San Diego County roads most weekends putting in thousands of miles a year. Cycling 100 miles on a Saturday or Sunday became a normal occurrence for her.
“I remember one particularly long ride we did together,” said Speedplay owner Richard Byrne. “I was not as fit as she was, and she was just motoring. For the first half of the ride, we were chatting side-by-side. Then later, we were still side-by-side but she was doing most of the talking. I remember I was just hanging on and hoping I wouldn’t get dropped.”
“Kimberlee’s Bikes for Kids," a non-profit charity is being established whose goal it will be to supply needy San Diego children with new bicycles so that they can enjoy bicycling as much as she did. To find out more or to contribute, contact Dan Gindling at dannyg@znet.com.
For more on the life of Kimberlee Caledonia be sure to read the April 15 issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
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