For those of you who know me, I always want to share the positive side of our community and make everyone feel welcome to attend local family-oriented events.

Now, the 14th edition of the X Games was still considered pretty local, being it was held in the Los Angeles area. But what I’ve learned to be proven over and over again is that our readers love to read about what’s acceptably innovative in motorsports. They enjoy learning from our home-based heroes and up-and-comers.

The X Games is presented by the collaborative efforts of multiple user-based associations, producers and directors who represent each action sport venue as experts in their respective sports. (It’s a well-coordinated 30-ring circus.)

Let the games begin

With a lot of help from motocross trainer/ride coach Bonnie Warch, who co-owns Coach2Ride, we are able to coordinate the following on-site interviews with the Women’s Moto X venue.

"Ten locally based and international top professional motocross women where selected for the gate. It was amazing to be there with former racers who have become lifetime friends," sighed Warch.

Tara Gieger (#68) won the gold, Sherri Cruise (#774) of Bakersfield placed second and Tatum Sik (#334) of Temecula showed for bronze.

According to Miki Keller, president of the Women’s Motocross Association (WMA), a sanctioning race body that focuses attention on professional women’s MX, "The WMA has been [televised] on ESPN, Speed Channel and Versus, but this is the first time the professional women racers have been on network TV.

"It’s amazing the amount of attention the mainstream print media has brought to the public. We’re looking forward to higher quality support programs like the men have and becoming a fully integrated part of the AMA Toyota Motocross championship series."

"The women are adapting well to supercross in such a short time," Keller continued. "Maybe they won’t hit all the jumps the men will, but they are competitive racers and there will be a battle for every lead."

Sarah Whitmore (#89), a 24-year-old from Michigan, lives in Temecula for winter month MX training. She garnered a fourth place finish in Women’s Moto X. Warch asked Whitmore about her experience at the X Games.

"I wasn’t prepared," responded Whitmore. "I only had three days to practice supercross. The track that I did get to practice on was nothing like the difficulty of this track.

"During practice the ramp jump was set at a 65-foot distance. During the race the ramp jump got moved back to 75 feet. A few of the riders in front of me where not jumping the big ramp, so I wasn’t comfortable trying it."

"I believe being at the X Games gave women a lot of great exposure," Whitmore added, "but I’m a motocrosser and I needed to give myself more than three days to prepare for a supercross track."

Adaptive Moto X

This was the first year the X Games offered its venue to "survivors" with physical disabilities.

Adaptive Action Sports was founded in 2005 by double leg amputee and competitive snowboarder Amy Purdy, along with competitive snowboarder and board sport enthusiast Daniel Gale, in order to create action sports opportunities for individuals living with permanent physical disabilities. (For more information, visit www.adacs.org.)

Gale, who has a degree in recreation from Western State College in Colorado, explained, "Our group of racers didn’t want to be directed into competition offered at traditional Olympics-style venues of running and swimming or stick and ball games.

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North County Cosmetic heart these folks can, and have, competed there before, but this year’s group wants to compete like the rest in an extreme event. They are extreme."

Gale is the only able-bodied member on the Adaptive Action Sports committee who helped develop the new competition.

Local hero

Murrieta’s Ricky James, 20, placed silver in the inaugural event.

James’ racing career took a detour in March 2005 when he and another racer collided at a Texas National Amateur race. He will forever be the survivor of a spinal cord injury that categorizes his mobility as a paraplegic.

During a telephone interview with Ricky’s mother, Tina, I learned more about what race moms go through.

"Ricky didn’t start racing motocross ’til he was 13 years old, after he had years of riding experience and had a more mature mind," Tina said. "He had a very positive beginning in motocross as he gained confidence and ability.

"He was a very strong-willed child, very determined. I didn’t say no to him very often because I had no good reason to say no. His dreams seemed reasonable and still do.

"He was 16 years old when he was injured. It was so frustrating; words cannot describe the feelings. What helped me is, I had to learn not to lose myself in my kid, as I’ve seen some parents do. It’s a tough but necessary step.

"My son has always proved his abilities. He was never a risk-taker, very calculated in his actions. That’s why he went to the X Games – it’s extreme. Ricky thoroughly believes the adaptive class has made a home for itself.

"Ricky made a difference. Because he adapted his bike and pictures starting spreading all over the Internet, he helped pioneer the adaptive MX sport for others to try."

Tina had some additional advice for parents. "My husband and I always parented together," she stated. "We’re both in agreement on all of our parental choices. I believe that is the key for any family team."

Freestyle Motocross (FMX)

Temecula’s Jeremy Lusk took his first gold at the X Games. His mother, Gina, had a few stories to share with me as well.

"My only child, Jeremy was always a leader in everything he did," she said. "Sometimes I would just cry because he was stubborn, stubborn, stubborn. It was absolutely stressful.

"In kindergarten, on picture day, I tried to dress him in a nice shirt. He fought me and fought me to wear a Pee Wee Herman shirt that day. I still have the picture. Oh, and he always had to have that mullet hairstyle.

"One day I came home and my husband asked me, ‘Have you been in the backyard lately?’

"‘No, why?’ I asked him.

"‘You need to go look in the backyard,’ he bluntly responded.

"I walked back there and oh, my gosh, [Jeremy] had cut down this huge tree, just so he and his buddies could get more air on their jumps with their little 50s. ‘It was in the way,’ he explained."

Like Tina James, Gina had some advice for parents: "Help your children with their dreams."

"I remember sitting on the edge of Jeremy’s bed when he was a teenager," she recalled. "I said to him, ‘Maybe not everybody understands the new form of freestyle motorsports that you are trying to introduce to the world, but it is your dream and I’ll support you.’"

Additionally, she emphasized, "have faith in the man above."

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