“She was flying … . She sounded so happy” Father of 23-Year-Old Cyclist Speaks as Community Honors His Daughter, Who Died in a Horrifying Accident

Life very well balances the highs and lows where a particular community is both marked by happy and sad moments. The community of Guilford community got together to honor stories of passion. 

The 23-year-old, Wake Forest graduate, Zoe Clay was fatally injured next to Lake Brandt on October 12 during the King and Queen of the Watershed mountain bike race. Let us go through this article to find out about how Clay’s legacy will continue and the ways the Guilford community paid tribute to the budding cyclist.

The unifying spirit of Clay will continue to live  

Zoe Clay’s father Tom Clay was approached by a fellow cyclist during her memorial service with a video that he captured on that fateful day. As Clay seemed happy, her father’s apprehension quickly vanished as he witnessed her daughter’s happiness in the last video captured of her.

Tom Clay expressed his emotion with Winston-Salem Journal stating, “I thought, ‘I don’t know if I want to see this. Then I decided I did. On the video you can hear the e-bike and then her passing him. She called out ‘On your left’ and ‘Thank you!’ She was flying … . She sounded so happy. It was so great to see.”

Read More: 20-Year-Old Cycling Prodigy’s Sudden Death in Public Well After the Race Stuns the Sporting Community

Clay had a zest for mountain bike racing and even though she passed away while following her passion, her legacy will live on. Being physically fit and registered as an organ donor, her organs were accepted for transplantation which would save the lives of seven people while her skin grafts will be given to others.

A weekend of paying tributes 

For Clay’s memorial service, a traditional headstone nestled in a serene wooded area was chosen in Winston-Salem where the Guilford County community gathered on October 28, Saturday to pay tribute. Since Zoe possessed a unique gift of connecting with people irrespective of their ages and backgrounds, they constructed “Zoe’s Little Mountain”, a fly-over bridge dedicated to professional races.

In an interview with Winston-Salem Journal, Nick Morosco, a father who engages in cyclocross races with his son said, “Zoe was a phenomenal athlete you want your child to learn from and an even more phenomenal role model for how you want your kids to treat teammates, competitors and absolute strangers that are a fan of the sport.”

The community has come forward to raise funds by setting up fundraising events through the GoFundMe website. Being a participant in the cyclocross races in Belgium and the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, her legacy continues to live raising funds amounting to $80,000.  

The Guilford community is going through fluctuating emotions as they gather to pay tribute to the talented cyclist, Zoe Clay whose compassionate spirit will continue to inspire others and leave a lasting impact on the world. Her genuine interest in the stories of others along with her remarkable spirit will forever live in the hearts she touched upon.

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