Home > News

Canadian cycling community mourns the passing of Kelyn Akuna

The manager of the Mattamy National Cycling Centre passed away suddenly on May 9

May 14, 2020
Share on SMS

Kelyn Akuna, manager of the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Mitlon, Ont. passed away during the past weekend. He was heavily involved in the cycling community, both as an athlete and as a track manager for the Milton velodrome. He worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure everything ran smoothly and helped build a sense of community for the cyclists training at Milton. The cause of death has not been reported.

Akuna was known for going well beyond the requirements of his position. When the Ghanaian para-track national team wasn’t able to ship bikes to the 2020 Milton paracycling track world championships, he stepped in and was able to get them set up with tandems to race with.

RELATED: Mattamy National Cycling Centre hooks Ghanaian para-track team up with tandems

Before coming to Milton, Akuna ran the Burnaby Velodrome in B.C. Prior to that he was a member of the U.S. national track team, and continued to ride competitively in the Canadian cycling scene.

A memorial fund has been created to support his wife, Tara Akuna, and their two young sons as they deal with the costs associate with his death and to help get them on their feet.

Canadian cyclists have begun posting their favourite moments with Kelyn Akuna, sharing and their sadness at his passing and honouring his memory.