Cycling isn’t just a sport for track cyclist Josh Hartman — it’s the core of who he is.
He fell in love with riding at 12, watching races like the Tour de France and hearing stories from his cousin, an Olympian who represented Guyana. Inspired by his cousin, Josh set out to build on his legacy.
“I remember at a very young age putting it out in the universe and saying that I want to do this for a living,” he said.
Three years later, his dream nearly faded. A serious crash during a race left him in a coma for weeks, and when he woke up, he had no memory of how he ended up in the hospital.
“One minute you’re doing something you love, and next minute it’s like your whole world crumbled,” he said.
In the months that followed, Josh trained with his cousin to rebuild confidence on the bike. Family and friends voiced concerns about him going back, and doctors warned him about the risks, but he wasn’t ready to give up.
“I was terrified,” he said. “I had those little doubts in the back of my mind, but once you’re on the bike, you get in the groove and it’s flow state. Everything just comes naturally again.”
A year to the day after the crash, Josh lined up for his first race back and won. He took it as his sign that cycling was what he was meant to do.
“I was born for this,” he said. “This is my path.”
At 18, he left New York for Colorado Springs, where he joined USA Cycling’s national team program at the Olympic Training Center. The program later moved to Southern California, and Josh followed, making Long Beach his home.
Over the years, he’s won multiple national medals, including a gold and a bronze at the national championships this past August.
He structures his life around training, spending six days a week at the VELO Sports Center in Carson, an official U.S. Olympic Training Site. He does double sessions on the track and in the gym, with road rides throughout the week, as he works toward qualifying for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“Nothing is guaranteed,” he said. “It’s still a long road ahead.”
Racing in his first Olympics, especially on home soil, would be a rare opportunity. With the home crowd behind him, he sees the moment as an advantage on the track and a chance to showcase the years of work that brought him there.
Josh credits his support team — teammates, coaches, family, friends and sponsors — for keeping him going on the hardest days.
“When I’m down and I have days where I’m like I can’t do this or I don’t feel like doing this, I remember I have a community that’s backing me,” he said.
Living just a few blocks from the ocean, he walks down to the water between training blocks to reset and get a change of scenery. He also appreciates Long Beach’s laid-back spirit and the way people represent their city, a familiar energy he recognizes from growing up in New York City.
Off the track, he also visits schools across the country to talk with students about his journey.
“I just try to tell them that anything is possible,” he said. “If you believe in yourself and you’re willing to put in the work, you can create opportunities for yourself.”
For Josh, setbacks are part of the process, not a reason to stop.
“No matter how hard things are in life, just keep showing up, keep fighting, and you’ll find a way,” he said. “You’re gonna go through every single emotion, but that’s part of the journey.”
“No matter how hard things are in life, just keep showing up, keep fighting, and you’ll find a way. You’re gonna go through every single emotion, but that’s part of the journey.