Heartfelt tributes have been made to a promising teenage cyclist with a "huge passion for the sport" who took his own life.
Described as "bright and enthusiastic" by the cycling club he was part of, Lawrie Dryden, 17, died on January 2 this year at the home he shared with his mum on St Mary's Walk, in Acklam, Middlesbrough.
An inquest into Mr Dryden's death took place at Teesside Magistrates' Court in Middlesbrough on Thursday, July 11 - where assistant coroner for Teesside, Benjamin Haigh, ruled the 17-year-old's death as suicide.
The inquest heard from NHS professionals and mental health experts, who highlighted that police, the air ambulance and paramedics attended his home on January 2 after Lawrie's mum, Mary, had found her son unresponsive.
Later in the inquest, Lawrie's dad Eric noted the 17-year-old's stresses with A-Levels at Yarm School, combined with buying a car that had issues and high mileage were factors for his "low mood".
Following the inquest into his death, the Cleveland Wheelers Cycling Club in Teesside have paid tribute to their "treasured" member - highlighting his prowess with cycling, despite only joining the club in 2020.
During his time with the club, the teenager won several cycling championships, including the Teesside Hill Climb Junior champion, Cleveland Wheelers Newgate Bank prime in the Four Dales TTT in 2021, and 2022 Teesside District Championship Sporting Courses Boys.
At the start of his time at the Cleveland Wheelers, chair of the club, Shaun Joughin remembers that Lawrie was "naturally blessed with some good sporting genes which allowed him to progress well".
Despite beginning while Covid restrictions were in place, and having to cycle virtually, Lawrie progressed and showed a willingness to want more out of cycling.
Inspired by the Tanfield family, who are well-known in the cycling world, Lawrie loved to hear about the experiences of the GB national team and professional ranks, and spent plenty of time with them, both in the saddle and in his favourite ‘Rabbit’ café in Great Ayton.
Sharing several humorous stories Lawrie, Mr Joughin remembers his favourite anecdote about the teenager and fellow team member Marcus needing to make it to a race in Otley when several roads were closed, and showing tenacity to get there.
Shaun recalled: "Surprisingly, they had set off with plenty of time but on arriving in Otley many of the roads were closed and given the size of the town centre there was gridlock at rush hour. It was nearly impossible to move trying to find a way through. Time was ticking.
"There was a suggestion to call the race organiser – 'let them know you are on your way and stuck in traffic and see if they will keep a sign on open for a bit longer, otherwise it was just going to be an evening of watching a race which you should have been in'. This did not work – there were going to be no favours here.
"But Lawrie, engrossed in his phone for a few minutes, promptly burst into action, said right – Stop, Let me out! I’ve got a plan. Quickly unloading the bike from the car, in the middle of a traffic jam, grabbing his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. Off he went, jumping on his bike, navigating through back alleys in the rough direction of event headquarters
"He made it into the race, with the race support, finding a parking spot and arriving about half an hour after it started. Although not a win, this good swift decision brought Lawrie’s experience of racing up to the highest national level."
Outside of the cycling road, the Cleveland Wheelers highlighted the 17-year-old's "quick wit and sarcasm" as two amazing features of his personality but had a "careful consideration of boundaries knowing just how far to push the banter".
Paying tribute further to the young cyclist, Shaun said: "Lawrie did not just talk about cycling, in fact, often he was well-versed in a wide range of topics and would enjoy active debate. Academically, he was very switched on.
"Lawrie was modest about his own achievements, but he secretly enjoyed showing his prowess.
"He had both the attitude and the ability to push hard.
Most read:
- Tragedy of mother-of-three who died after taking drugs at her County Durham home
-
Who is Daniel Brown, the surprise North Yorkshire leader of the Open Championship
Get more from The Northern Echo and stay informed with subscription. Click here to find out more.
"A word that I have recently heard used a lot about Lawrie, is ‘potential’ and he really showed this."
He added: "It is truly heartbreaking that Lawrie is no longer with us, but we can rejoice in the fact that he found something that he was ‘absolutely’ passionate about, could excel at and that he could share with others.
"He showed great potential as a human being, not just a cyclist. We will remember his dry sense of humour, his sharp wit, his ingenuity for solving problems and his broad knowledge which was often quite surprising for someone of such tender years."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel