Personal History
I grew up in Northern Indiana and rode ATV's for recreation. I always had a passion for riding, but my families first hobby was showing horses. It wasn't until a few years ago that I purchased another ATV, and have had a few since then. I mainly rode them for recreation the last 2+ years. In September 2014 I got the itch to learn to ride dirt bikes. So, since I was a beginner to bikes, I purchased a very clean 2012 Yamaha TT-R230. I rode for a few months and enjoyed it a lot. I decided to give hare scrambles a try.
So, in late 2014, I signed up with Oklahoma Cross Country Racing Association. (OCCRA). Since that time, I have spent a lot of time on the bike learning and improving with each ride. Racing has really helped the most. I quickly learned that the TT-R230 was not enough bike for me, my ability, and especially my competition. Despite the bike holding me back some in terms of performance, i nearly always finished in the top half of the field in my class, including 2 podium finishes in 8 race, a first and a third.
In late July, during our summer break, I chose to forgo this race season and have reconstructive ankle surgery. I've had flat feet my entire life, and my right ankle had collapsed over the past 6 years. The ankle problem wasn't affecting my riding much, but it drastically affected me being able to train and work out. Having the surgery in July ensured that I would be ready to being training and riding my January 2016. Therefore, I opted to end my season early to prepare for an exciting 2016 season.