Marshall Taylor, known as Major, was born in Indianapolis in 1878. He moved to Massachusetts to pursue cycling and won his first professional race in December 1896.
In Montreal in 1899, he took the world one-mile championship. His fame crossed the Atlantic: during his 1901 European campaign, he won 42 of 57 races against national champions.
Sporting success did not shield him from racial discrimination, including barriers to entering races and refusals at hotels. After retiring in 1910, Taylor wrote an autobiography.
His story rewards reading beyond the results tables. It invites reflection on talent, opportunity and how different the journey to the same starting line can be.