At one point in the movie "Rounders," Matt Damon's character, an aspiring professional poker player, says, "You can't lose what you don't put in the middle, but you can't win much either."

Mike Friedman is about to push all his chips to the middle.

Friedman, a Penn State student and a nationally ranked cyclist, is withdrawing from school following the fall semester and moving to Florida to train full time with an eye toward making the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.

When asked whether he has any doubts about making such a life-altering decision, he gave a disarming smile and said, "There are so many things in life that you do half way. In this case I've got to go for it."

Friedman is a remarkable person who never really intended to become a competitive cyclist. He started out as a BMX biker, but when a broken collarbone forced him to give that up, he tried road racing as a means to stay in shape.

Instantly he could tell he had found his niche.

"I won states when I was 14 and it was basically my first competition," he said. "At that point I knew I had some natural ability."

Friedman trained all through high school in addition to running cross-country and wrestling, and joined the United States Youth National Cycling Team when he was 15. He says that at times his hectic travel schedule with the team caused him to miss upwards of 90 days of school per year.

"It's tough because you miss your brothers and sisters when you are on the road," he said. " I've basically been on my own since I was 15."

By the time he was 18, all the afternoons of cross country practice followed by four hours on the bike had taken their toll on Friedman mentally.

"I was just burned out," he said. "Cycling had lost its fun. I kept riding but not to train, just because it was something to do."

Friedman was on the brink of quitting competitive cycling, but after allowing his training to slip for weeks, Friedman traveled to Florida to compete in the 18-23 age bracket at the national championships. He had no expectations of placing well and did little to prepare.

Apparently, the break was all he needed to recharge mentally, and he shocked himself by having the race of his life and becoming the youngest person ever to win the 18-23 title.

After a short break following his victory, Friedman rededicated himself to cycling and has trained fervently to reach the point he is at today. He currently trains by riding more than 80 miles a day in fair weather, or attending three spin classes in a row at the gym.

The next step for Friedman is to train toward qualifying for the cycling World Cup event in Mexico City this spring. A good showing there would earn him a spot at the World Championships and a possible slot on the Olympic team. Eventually he would like to earn a spot on one of Europe's premier racing teams and ride in the Tour De France.

Friedman says that all these goals are very attainable. His quiet confidence and honesty make him quite believable.

"At this moment in my life I am young, and mentally and physically mature enough to do it," he said. "I have an opportunity and I want to go for it to the fullest."