Port Manatee candidate's champion past

Steve Tyndal, one of six finalists to become executive director of Port Manatee, is already known for fostering international trade agreements and leading the creation of award-winning publications during 18 years as a senior director at the port.

But Tyndal has another impressive element to his past: a 16-year career as a competitive bicycle racer that included a national championship. Tyndal has raced with two-time Olympian Frankie Andreu, former USA Cycling champion Chris Horner, and regular Tour de France presence George Hincapie. He even left his career at Port Manatee for four years to focus on his racing career.

Tyndal first became interested in bicycle racing while attending Austin Peay State University on a track scholarship. He had purchased a bike to travel to and from campus. "I had a really competitive nature about me and so I would time myself each day to see if I could make it faster," he recalls.

But his father discouraged racing, concerned that Tyndal would injure himself and endanger his track scholarship. So Tyndal waited until he was an adult, raced part-time for years, and finally began focusing full-time on the sport when he was 41. He became so devoted that he left his post at Port Manatee for four years, and that's when he won the 1994 Masters National Championship medal and trophy with which he's pictured here.

In 1997, Tyndal broke his arm, scapula and four clavicles during a training accident. While recovering, he received a call from the port asking him to come back. Thus ended his bicycling career and began his career at the port as senior director of trade and special projects.

Since then, Tyndal has completely left behind bicycling. "I only rode a half-dozen times since my last race, and then I've never ridden since. To go from a racer with focus, to bicycling for fitness, just didn't work for me." He still follows the sport intensely from afar, monitoring big races as they are televised or in the newspaper. "It gets in your blood."