U.S. Olympic silver medal cyclist Kelly Catlin dead by suicide at 23

STANFORD, Calif. — Cyclist Kelly Catlin, a member of the 2016 U.S. women’s pursuit team that won the silver medal at the Rio Olympics, died Thursday night by suicide, according to family members.

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Catlin, 23, was found by her roommate in her campus residence at Stanford University, where she was a graduate student, The Stanford Daily reported.

"There isn't a minute that goes by that we don't think of her and think of the wonderful life she could have lived," Catlin's father, Mark Catlin, said according to VeloNews. "There isn't a second in which we wouldn't freely give our lives in exchange for hers. The hurt is unbelievable."

Kelly Catlin, a Minnesota native who was studying computational and mathematical engineering, was one of a set of triplets. Her sister, Christine, told The Washington Post that she was "a really special person - kind, funny, empathetic and talented at literally everything she did. She just felt like she couldn't say no to everything that was asked of her, and this was her only escape. She had suffered a concussion a few months ago and had not been the same mentally ever since."

“My sister Kelly committed suicide last night. She's the one person I had shared almost my entire life with, and I shall miss her terribly,” Kelly Catlin’s brother, Colin, said in a post on social media.

Between 2016 and 2018, Kelly Catlin won three consecutive world championship titles with the U.S. women's pursuit team. She also raced with the Rally UHC Pro Cycling Team on the road, according to VeloNews.

If you or someone you love is struggling with suicide or suicidal thoughts, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255, or get more information at SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

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