When did you start BMX?
I got into racing when I was five. I wanted to be a jumper-type dude when I was a little younger than that. I started riding the bike at two and then I could jump like ramps in the road. I started building little dirt jumps in my yard at like three or four years old. I learned how to jump the bike before I knew how to race… I liked going fast and jumping jumps and the BMX race track was exactly that.
After recovering from a broken femur, you came back and won the Olympic trials securing a spot in Rio – what did it feel like crossing the finish line?
Yeah it’s pretty unbelievable. It’s one of those crazy kind of supernatural feelings that you don’t get very often. It’s almost a huge weight off the shoulders because it’s like you work for four years and basically you work all of your life just to get where you’re at. To be able to win that race and when you cross the line in first it’s a little unbelievable. You kind of look around say, “Oh, did I really just make the team and be able to represent Team USA for BMX?”
What does it mean to you to represent the United States on the world’s biggest stage, especially with BMX?
It definitely means a great deal. As a kid, you don’t really know where you’re going to be at. You kind of dream of doing something really cool and to be able to represent the USA in BMX Cycling, that started as just a little dirt sport on the side of a hill where all your buddies just came together and rode in the dirt. To be in the Games is such a great honor for BMX and now to be able to represent our country to race in the sport that I grew up doing is just a great honor to me.
While you’re down in Rio are there any other events or sports that you want to sit and check out?
I would like to check out some basketball and possibly some gymnastics.
Is there anyone from the basketball team that you would like to meet while you are down there?
Kevin Durant.