A career in mining can be highly technical, and require a veritable arsenal of skills. Beyond the workplace, however, miners have remarkable interests, and unique hobbies.

Andrew Heinemann works as a Mine Engineer and Geologist at Benchmark Resources, a California-based planning and environmental firm that manages project permitting and regulatory compliance for residential, commercial and other clients.

Heinemann received his bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento and his master’s in Mining Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. Having worked in mining for over 18 years, he says some of his favorite things about working in mining include meeting interesting people from around the world, and traveling to unique places.

Mining may be his day job, but Heinemann is also a serious cyclist, participating in an impressive number of races throughout California and Nevada. With almost 30 races under his belt in 2014, there is much more to this miner than the talents he brings to his career on a daily basis. His specialty is sprint cycling. He says his favorite bike movie is E.T.

While bikes and mining may not go together at first glance, take a step back and look at the amazing bond that joins such varied areas of interest. Beyond the walls of their day jobs, miners have a variety of passions and interests that may surprise you.