compete in the Trials des Nations , ride all over the US and do shows . I ’ m really happy and lucky to be able to do as much as I ’ ve done and have such great support to do it this long . I ’ m just trying to appreciate it and see if I can keep it going . Looking back at it now , I remember when I didn ’ t have any championship wins and to look at that number , it seems unattainable . I remember Brad Baumert and I talking after I had a few championships , and he told me I ’ d have to win every year until 2017 to tie Geoff Aaron ’ s record . I thought “ yeah , there ’ s no possible way ; that ’ s insane !” But to have done it is pretty cool .
The championship win in 2017 would be the biggest one for me because I wasn ’ t able to win in 2016 [ when Marc Freixa took the title ]. I was kind of mentally defeated , but at the beginning of 2017 , I wasn ’ t really focused on beating Marc , it was just like I found a new kind of appreciation for what I was doing and just really enjoyed riding again . I definitely learned a lot that year .
ANYBODY YOU ’ RE WORRIED ABOUT CONTESTING YOUR TITLE THIS YEAR ?
I think everyone has the potential to be as good as anyone else , it just depends a little bit on the day and on the terrain . Different people are going to excel in different spots , so
VOL . 6 ISSUE 5 - MAY 2021 // PAGE 109