Outstanding Women of New Brighton: Jan (Bolland) Tanner
Jan Bolland was born on January 25, 1966, to Donald and the late Rosalie Bolland and grew up in Daugherty Township. While attending New Brighton High School, she was an honor student that played softball and volleyball, earning All-State Honors as a senior.
After graduating in 1984, Jan attended the University of New Hampshire, where she majored in biochemistry and was a 4-year member of the crew team. Upon her graduation from college in 1988, she pursued her love for cycling. She developed from a regional citizen racer to an elite cyclist on the U.S. National Cycling Team.
Jan soon became one of the most consistent and successful American racers in the 1990s, competing all over the world and traveling as many as 200 days a year.
As a member of the U.S. Cycling Team, Jan proudly won many races, including these top awards:
1991 Gold Medal — Pan American Games (Cuba)
1992 Gold Medal — TTT World Championship Women’s Team (Spain)
This was a huge upset over favored France. Their win was the first-ever World Championship for the U.S. Women’s Cycling Team.1993 Silver Medal — TTT World Championship (Norway)
1995 Gold Medal — U.S. National Championship (Massachusetts)
1995 Gold Medal — Colorado State Cyclo-Cross Champion
2003 Enshrined — Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame
Throughout the years, Jan (Bolland) Tanner has remained involved in cycling through coaching, conducting clinics and seminars, and promoting several cyclo-cross races. She also has served as a member of the USA Cycling Selection Committee.
Jan is the mother of three sons and lives in Connecticut with her husband, Doug, who also attended the University of New Hampshire and was an avid cyclist. The family owns a retail bike store, Benidorm Bikes, which was named after the town in Spain where Jan won her World Championship title. At the store, she uses her expertise in helping others to select the best bike for their needs.
Today, Jan thrives on keeping busy with her family, the business, and community involvement. In her spare time, she loves being outdoors, whether it is cycling, camping, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. Her hometown of New Brighton is proud to recognize her as an intelligent, athletic, and talented woman that excelled in what she set out to accomplish. This spirit runs in the Bolland Family because her brother, Kevin, was also inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame in Motorsports Auto Racing. He still lives in Daugherty Township.