Phillip (Phil) B. Mann, Jr., born August 26, 1983, was raised in Prairie Village, KS, a suburb of Kansas City.  Athletics began at a very early age for Phillip, with the short list of sports including soccer, baseball, golf, tennis, swimming, rugby, football, and wrestling.  By the time he began at Shawnee Mission East High School he narrowed his focus to two main sports, football and wrestling, providing a strong foundation for the discipline of cycling through these individual and team sports.  As an undersized and outweighed defensive back and running back by most standards, there was no shortage of setbacks or sideline time for Phillip.  However, the confidence, work ethic, and competitive desire built in the wrestling room, helped him persevere to being a full-time starter on the football team.  By his senior year, many awards served as a testament to his success both on the wrestling mat and football field.

The academic and athletic success in high school gave Phillip both the opportunity to attend DePauw University, a prestigious liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana, and a defensive back position on the football team.  Although a 50-pound weight gain was achieved the following year to meet the standards to play college football, he was content with the outcome of his career and chose not to play the following year. 

A major influence in the decision to walk away from football was Phillip’s new mentor, Kent Menzel, a communications professor and liaison to the cycling team.  Taking a class called the ‘Science of Cycling’, Dr. Menzel demonstrated the complexity as well as physical work required to be a competitive cyclist.  Also, a healthy lifestyle was on the ‘to do’ list after football, making cycling a natural fit.  A new passion had been created. <READ THE ENTIRE STORY... PDF>