In this series I’m going to talk about where I come from, where I’ve been, and how I’ve gotten to where I am today.
Let’s rewind back to when I was 11 years old. I was that preppy kid and I played all the club sports. I grew up on the golf course playing almost everyday. I didn’t have a care in the world. Childhood was easy breezy for me when I think of what others went through. My parents loved me very much and always showed it. We would attend church pretty regularly. But, things changed drastically for me at that age.
My parents got a divorce and I didn’t think it was that big of deal. People were concerned and asked me how I was feeling during this transition, but I didn’t think it really affected me. My sister and I went to live with my mom and I would see my dad on the weekends most of the time. 10-12 years old is that crucial age when a boy needs to be affirmed by his father and taught what manhood looks like. Due to unfortunate events I didn’t get that [Let me say that my Dad was radically changed by Jesus 6 years ago and has been unwavering in his faith ever since]. So, I determined my value and built up my status by the world’s standards. I also didn’t want to have anything to do with the church.
I had always possessed a rebellious spirit.. Wanting to be different and feed my adrenaline. So I dropped traditional sports and decided to race dirtbikes and ride bmx. I got good fast too, but I had to quit motocross at age 14 because I would break bones and knock myself out every other month.
I convinced my mom that bmx would be safer than motocross and it worked. None my friends growing up did that sport, so I dropped them. I started rolling with a different crowd that was a little rougher around the edges. I will say that I have met some of the most amazing people in the extreme sports community, but at the time I didn’t have a positive influence around me.
My high school years I was always out of town traveling and going to bike contests. I was doing things and going places nobody else my age was. I was living a rockstar lifestyle and thought my life was so much cooler than everyone else’s. I started partying hard in 9th grade and got exposed to stuff quick (sex, alcohol, drugs). I was chasing the world and all its passions and desires. I had no morals and didn’t need God in my life. I didn’t know I was on a path to destruction and killing my soul.
Fast forward to when I was 16 years old. My best friend at the time, David White, asked me to come to church with him one Sunday. He convinced me to go with him because he told me we would go ride afterwards. So I reluctantly went. I had no clue what to expect…
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