This previously ran in our 2022 June Senior Issue.

Grant Carter started making a name for himself in the Emmaus sporting community ever since his biking talent was discovered. 

Carter was recruited for the Olympic cycling team his freshman year and competed with them until the program was canceled in 2020 due to COVID. Throughout his four years in high school, he participated in track and road cycling and has raced across the country on various teams. 

After graduation, Carter will begin his higher education, studying mechanical engineering at The United States Military Academy at West Point. 

Stinger: How will West Point be different from a traditional college experience? 

Carter: It’s very military-focused, so I won’t have too much freedom. I will have to wake up at a certain time and go to bed at a certain time. They have it all planned out for you, so you don’t really get too much freedom in there. And then at the end of the four years, you get commissioned into the Army as a second lieutenant. 

Stinger: What got you into biking? 

Carter: Good story, actually. Remember Pokémon Go? So when that was a thing I wanted to catch the Pokémon faster, so I started riding my bike around the neighborhood. And then my dad saw me doing that. So he was like, “Oh, there’s this racing program that’s at the Velodrome. Why don’t you try it out?” I’m like, “Okay, I’ll just try it out.” 

Stinger: What do you like about biking? 

Carter: I think the freedom it gives you when you’re riding…you just kind of go at your own pace and you see a lot more of the area than any other sport. 

Stinger: What was your favorite class at Emmaus? 

Carter: Definitely [AP] Physics C: Mechanics. It made a lot of sense to me, and it’s one of the reasons why I’m majoring in mechanics. Mr. Ohl was a great teacher and he kind of explains it in a way that really shows you how math works in the world. 

Stinger: How’s your senior year going? 

Carter: It’s going good. Better than my previous three years in terms of academics and whatnot, and there are some great senior activities this year, I’m glad that stuff wasn’t canceled for COVID, and I’m ready to graduate and move on. 

Stinger: Can you sum up your high school experience in three words? 

Carter: Fast. Exciting. And sad, because COVID puts a damper on everything.