“If you knew him, you would swear he loved you because he did,” friend Ryan Crissey told WFAA.
MCKINNEY, Texas — Dory Selinger, a decorated Paralympic cyclist and respected mentor in the cycling community, was killed Thursday morning after being struck by a vehicle while riding near Alma Drive and the Sam Rayburn Tollway in McKinney according to a family friend.
Selinger was known for riding the route daily, often spending an hour and a half on the bike. Even after retiring from professional competition, cycling remained a central part of his life.
Friend Ryan Crissey said he received a frantic call from Selinger’s wife about the crash and rushed to the scene, where he learned one of his closest friends had died.
“If you knew him, you would swear he loved you because he did. I loved him with my whole heart. And I’m aching immensely,” Crissey told WFAA.
Selinger was widely admired in competitive cycling. He won Paralympic gold in Atlanta in 1996, earned three medals at the 2000 Sydney Games, and became a three-time world champion.
Crissey said Selinger combined elite athletic talent with relentless determination.
“He was a great natural athlete, but super driven and he could turn any little thing into motivation,” said Ryan who runs a professional cycling team.
Beyond racing, friends say Selinger was generous with his time, always willing to coach and encourage younger cyclists.
He also deeply loved his family and was remembered as quietly funny, playful, and warm.
Selinger rode with a prosthetic leg after losing his leg in a crash in the early 1990s, an accident in which he also lost a friend. Rather than retreat from the sport, he continued competing at the highest level and later dedicated himself to helping others. Friends said he was designing prosthetics for Parkland and found purpose in that work.
Crissey urged drivers to be mindful of cyclists on the road.
“We all need to get home. You may think it’s an inconvenience because you got stuck behind a cyclist for ten seconds. Ten seconds isn’t going to change your life, but it might change someone elses.”
Plans are underway for a memorial ride in Selinger’s honor.
McKinney Police said the crash remains under investigation. No information has been released about the driver involved.