The family of a teen killed while riding his bike hopes you’ll remember him for the person he was. Family members say 13 – year – old Timothy was intense about playing sports.

Jenks was riding his bike while training for a triathlon on Thursday when his tire grazed another cyclist. It’s said he overcorrected and as a result was struck and killed by an SUV on a rural highway in Story County.

“He was a well-equipped skilled cyclist who was learning a new aspect of cycling to understand a different type of racing,” says Jenks father, William.

William Jenks says his son was training with a group of professional cyclists for a triathlon that could have qualified him for the Junior Olympics.

“It’s really too bad that something like this is sometimes what it takes to make us think about our kids.”

Timothy’s twin sister, Olivia, also competes in triathlon and his older brother, Chris, was always supportive of his competitive spirit.

“As an older brother, being able to step back and look at Timothy, I was more than happy to let him beat me.”

The family says they plan to host an annual sporting event in Timothy’s honor. A visitation for Jenks takes place at 5 pm on Monday at Adams Funeral Home in Ames. The funeral’s the following day at the Collegiate Presbyterian Church at 11 am.

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17 photos: Ames cyclist Timothy Jenks