Personal History
I started out trail riding in the Loess Hills, here in Iowa, at a private off-road ranch called Timber Ridge, consisted of about 5,000 acres of rough terrain, trees, plenty of rain ruts, and tree roots, single-tracks, and ATV trails. I started out on a four-wheeler when I started walking and worked my way up from there.
I met a group of friends that were members there too, and we challenged each other every day.
"Do that hill! Bet you can't make it to the top."
That was probably was probably the most common "dare." We were all pretty young, a couple of the boys in our little group raced, and I looked up to them. They all had dirt bikes and here I was still on my four-wheeler. Needless to say I was pretty jealous. So without telling our parents, we would switch vehicles for a little while and ride the whole day, so I could finally ride a dirt bike. Our parents knew the whole time and after some discussion I was about to get my very first bike.
Looking back I've gone through quite a few of them in a very short time... 50, 70, 80, 100, 125, 150 and now my 250.
Getting on a bike was like being in a whole new world. I could go more places, fit between smaller spaces in-between trails, I loved it! With all the practice in the trees, handling thick mud, sand, tree roots and rain ruts were no problem.
It's 2010 now, and after some years of sticking the trail riding I still wanted to broaden my horizons from my childhood. So after talking to some friends, and making some arrangements, I was about to head to my first motocross track. We don't have to many around here where I live, so the one that we were going to was of a higher-level experience, not the easiest track to be learning on.
After some ugly landings, and a sore body the next day, I didn't want to give up. I wanted to make this more of a passion, just like riding in the trees. I wanted to learn more about everything. I was, and still am, ambitious to achieve my goals. I even wanted to learn about the mechanics of everything. My whole life, my family has been into cars and practically anything with a motor, so I already had my foot in the door.
Little by little I started to get better, I learned that you need to COMMIT. If you don't you're probably going to have an ugly landing, or worse.
Today we're in the year 204-14. And I'm better than I have ever been and I strive to KEEP getting better. I got a little bit of a late start to the year.. my "riding-buddy" was no longer around and so fighting with some personal issues, I started to fall out of motocross. One day I woke up, and I declared that I need to chase my dreams.
I started traveling to other race tracks, places I have never been to before, and raced them the next day. 2015 is going to be a great year, I started going to the gym multiple days a week, I now have one local sponsor/family friend who has more than supported me mentally and with techniques.
I'm determined to achieve my goals, and when I make it there, I'll set another one, and chase that goal.