For over two decades, Candi Murray has dedicated herself to the development and promotion of bicycle racing in Oregon.
She was the director of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) for 22 years before stepping down from that post in 2006 (she remains an active volunteer). During her tenure, OBRA has matured into one of the premier bike racing organizations in the country and it is the backbone of flourishing, year-round racing scene that has a very bright future.
As recognition for her dedication and leadership, Murray will be inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame next week. Murray will join seven other inductees including former Portland Trailblazer star Jerome Kersey and Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield (the man behind Air Jordans and a pretty cool Surly).
What is the key to Candi’s success through the years? I think it might have something to do with her ‘have-fun-first’ mentality. Leading an organization with 4,000+ members and being responsible for everything from porta-potties to permits to individual results is not a picnic. But somehow, no matter how stressful the job becomes, Candi keeps smiling…
Here is she is in costume at a cyclocross race and she’s even been known to compete once in a while…
Congratulations Candi! You and Mike (her husband who has also been a key to OBRA’s success) are the true “power behind Oregon racing.”