As students and teachers rush to school, barely surviving the morning traffic, one Diamond Bar High School teacher casually strolls into his class with a neon biking suit on. Using cycling as a means of commuting to school, biology teacher Eric Sorensen takes on his passion for biking to a new level.

Riding his bike roughly 13 miles a day just for transportation, Sorensen uses his morning ride as an opportunity to prepare for much larger-scale events.

Every year since 2015, Sorensen has participated in a national cycling event called the MS150, in which riders cycle 150 miles over the course of two days to raise money for patients with multiple sclerosis.

 After hearing that DB alumnus Jacob Hamilton was diagnosed with the disease, Sorensen decided to join a biking group called Team Jacobito to raise money for the cause. Along with chemistry teacher Jose Marquez, Sorensen cycles from Irvine to San Diego. So far, Sorensen has raised over $4,000 to help those with MS.

In addition, Sorensen participates in a number of sprint triathlons nearby to stay fit. Although he competes in triathlons as a hobby, he said that winning first place within his age group in local tournaments motivates him to work harder.

Every June, Sorensen participates in the Tin Man triathlon at Cal State San Bernardino, and in April, he participates in the Possibilities triathlon in Yorba Linda.

“It’s a lot of fun for me, and it gives you a goal,” Sorensen said. “If you sign up to do a triathlon, you’re going to be more motivated to get out and run. You’ll be more motivated to hop on the bike and do extra training, more motivated to jump in the pool and do some laps.”

To maintain his speed and stamina for competitions, Sorensen focuses on training with time trials, during which he rides his bike as fast as possible within a set time frame. He enjoys biking to Mt. Baldy, the beach and the hilly areas of Chino Hills for exercise.

In addition to biking, Sorensen dedicates an average of 10 to 15 hours a week running around his neighborhood, cycling and swimming to prepare for triathlons towards spring.

Sorensen’s passion for biking started in high school, before he had a driver’s license to get around town. Having used a road bike to get to school and local areas, Sorensen’s love for cycling has grown until today.

“I grew up in Dallas, and I would bike to different parts of the city I didn’t know about,” he said. “I couldn’t drive, and even after I could, I would ride [instead].”

Although Sorensen originally took up competing in triathlons as a hobby, he still hopes to improve and achieve more with his capabilities. Participating in smaller local events now, he hopes to branch out to larger competitions in the future.

“I really enjoy the ones that I am doing, and I want to stay competitive in my age group,” he said. “Someday, I might do one of the longer ones. I may do a marathon or half a marathon, when I feel like I can do a good job.”