industry speakers
Brent Bookwalter
Asheville, NC resident Brent Bookwalter recently retired after 16 seasons as a professional cyclist. Brent is a grassroots, homegrown American whose grit and tenacity brought him to the top level of professional cycling where he raced for 11 years with The BMC Racing Team and his final three seasons with the Australian-registered Team Bike Exchange.
Accolades throughout his career included racing at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, serving as part of Cadel Evans’ winning 2011 Tour de France team, and earning podium finishes at a myriad of stage races across the world. Before his professional career, Brent was a 9-time collegiate national champion and obtained a Biology degree from Lees-McRae College.
Currently, Brent is pursuing a graduate degree in Sport and Performance Psychology as he works to transition his lived performance experience to support and help others with their own unique goals and objectives. You can catch Brent on TV as a commentator and analyst with NBC/Peacock’s broadcast of the Tour de France.
Brent, wife Jamie, their son Waylon, and daughter Vera reside in Asheville, NC where they embrace the diverse joy and adventure that their favorite Blue Ridge Mountains provide
vitor Schizzi
Vitor Zucco Schizzi is a former professional cyclist and Brazil’s youngest ever Elite Men’s National Champion. He raced for a couple of years under the direction of Manuel Saiz, former director of thelegendary ONCE team in the early 2000’s. After that, in 2019 Vitor made the jump to the professional ranks at the age of 20, the same year that he achieved his first Elite national title. He competed inraces like Tour Colombia, Vuelta Valencia and Scheldeprijs, testing himself against the very top elite cyclists from all around the world, as well as representing Brazil in two World Championships.
During his time as a professional, Vitor learned extensively about topics such as on and off-bike nutrition, training methods, mental preparation, and outside stressors that play a big part in mental performance on race day. At that time, he was also one of only two Brazilians racing at that level in Europe. Carrying the national flag on his chest every race for two years came with a lot of pressure on race days. Learning how to deal with those personal and outside expectations were huge learning opportunities for him during his time as a professional.
Today, Vitor is starting a new endeavor with Applewood Manor Inn Bed & Breakfast
launching personalized cycling experiences out of Asheville, NC, where he hopes to share and teach some of the strategies he has learned in his time as a professional with his guests, in hopes that they can utilize them for their future challenges
David Daggett
Every day at 4:30 a.m. David Daggett is up and running – literally! He’s a serious triathlete who has completed more than 200 triathlons, including 32 Ironman finishes, over 43 consecutive years. Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile marathon run.
David has competed in the Hawaii Ironman World Triathlon Championship nine times (and has qualified for his 10th this year). He was presented the Ironman “Everyday Hero” award for his community service work, the national “Trial Lawyers Care” award, and has been featured on ESPN, Universal TV, Forbes Small Business, Men’s Health, 60 Minutes, North Carolina Lawyer magazine, and the cover of Lawyers Weekly. David has also been presented a Governor’s Volunteer Service Award for his work with the Down syndrome community.
David brings to his community and work the same intensity and devotion that has helped him become a world-class athlete. Among many distinctions, he has served on the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar Association, President of the Forsyth County Bar and 21st Judicial District Bar Associations, and numerous community Boards.
He is a founder and sponsor of the Safe Sober Program that has reached over 600,000 teenagers in North Carolina over the past 34 years. David has spoken 100s of times to 1000s of students and is a frequent speaker to student, church, civic, athletic, and professional groups. He has emceed more than 250 community events.
At New Philadelphia Moravian Church David has served in many capacities including Elder, Usher, Sunday School Teacher, Children’s Sermon Presenter, and Volunteer.
He and his wife Cindy live in Winston-Salem and have three children ages 20, 22, and 24. As a husband and proud father of three young adults, David has a passion for youth and is excited about our future!
Specialties: Providing legal representation to children, families and individuals who are wrongfully injured, hurt at work, or disabled
Ann Groninger
In her practice, Ann combines her passions for advocating for individuals and for bicycling culture. She represents injured individuals with a special interest in representing victims of bicycle crashes. Ann began her career in 1995 gaining daily courtroom experience as a criminal defense attorney for the Cumberland County Public Defender’s Office and then in private practice in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Over time, beginning with her transition to private practice in 1998, Ann gravitated toward personal injury and civil litigation. At the same time, her passion for riding bikes began to spawn a passion for bicycle advocacy. She joined Peter Wilborn, founder of South Carolina Bike Law, to form North Carolina Bike Law. The organization has grown into Bike Law, serving bicyclists throughout the country. Ann now speaks to bicycling groups and clubs across the state about their members’ rights and responsibilities and bicycling advocacy and culture. She is a regular participant and presenter at the annual North Carolina Bicycle Summit. She works hard to promote bicycling, in particular women’s bicycling. She has written the Ride Guide, to be used by bicyclists, motor vehicle drivers, police officers and anyone interested in understanding North Carolina’s rules of the road as they pertain to bicycles. Ultimately, the goal is to make riding safer and more enjoyable.
Walt Gannon
Walt Gannon has lived in Mocksville for the last nine years. He is originally from Troy in upstate New York. Walt graduated from Cortland High School and Hudson Valley Community College. He served in the US Army from 1971 to 1973. He is married to Pam and has a daughter, stepdaughter, and two granddaughters. Walt worked as a mail carrier and retired from the US Postal Service in February 2015. He is a member of the American Legion and the VFW Honor Guard out of the Clemmons post.
Walt enjoys restoring vintage bicycles from year 1920 through the 1960’s and has been doing this for over 30 years. He constantly learns something new. It is very challenging at times but is definitely an enjoyable hobby.
Today Walt has brought with him an extremely rare 1947 Monark HEX Silver King (made for only two years) and a woman’s 1936 Silver King (all aluminum chrome bike).
KEN PUTNAM
50 years in bicycle business
Promoted over 500 bicycling related events ( this is not showing up at someone else’s event to sag wagon) but actually directing the events from start to finish.
1977 – promoter for first street bicycle race in WS – Hanes Park Criterium that I ran for the next 25+ years
1982 & 1983 directed the Biltmore McDonalds Classic Bicycle Stage Race that started on Good Morning America and ran every evening for a week on ESPN
1983 received the Governors award for the most significant contribution to cycling by a business Served on the city county advisory committee for bicycling from 1977-2002 that enabled me to build the Mtb trails at Tanglewood and Horizons Park and open up Salem lake for bicycles that had been previously prohibited
2005 received the 3rd issued Legends Award from the Trek Bicycle Co.
2005 purchased 2750 Reynolda Road where Ken’s Bike Shop is today operated with my business partner – Matt Canter January 1, 2011 was proclaimed Ken Putnam by our mayor Allen Joines for originating the Polar Bear Ride that raised $125,000 over 7 years for Cancer Services
2022 with my wife Christine, have started Easy Bend River Farms an agritourism farm with – pick your own blackberries (May thru September)/ The River Nest Air B&B/& The River Lounge – a post and beam shelter at the Yadkin River’s edge with an outdoor kitchen to be rented to selected groups up to 60
Wrote the book “Great Bikes Rides in and around Winston-Salem” in 2000
Ken’ Bike Shop puts on The Fairgrounds Criterium Series – March thru May One of the longest running criterium racing series in the US Wednesday nite gravel ride from Wiseman’s Brewery Tour de Lama The Triathlon training series with Fleet-Feet each June
My favorite event that I created was the Moratock Triathlon from 1982 thru mid 90’s Which consisted of bicycling ,running and tubing Sent from my iPad