I admire a guy whose name is Travis Pastrana. He is a freestyle dirt bike competitor who has been great ever since he first sat on a bike. The sport of Professional motocross has not been the same since Travis Pastrana arrived on the scene. Travis has brought a kind of new energy since turning pro in 1999. In addition to being among the world’s elite in motocross and supercross racing, Pastrana is also considered to be the best freestyle rider in the world. It is this versatility that makes Travis Pastrana so fascinating. He’s won multiple competitions, like the X-Games, seven times in a row. Growing up as a kid, I got the chance to see Travis at a couple of his events. After seeing how great he was, it made me want to be just like him. He turned pro when he was only sixteen years old and to this day he is still the youngest pro who has entered the sport. Not only did he turn pro at the tender age of sixteen, which is a great feat, but he was beating guys who were way older than him and who had been competing way longer than him. Pulling death-defying stunts in the air, he always managed to bring and complete the craziest tricks. On August 4, 2006, he became the first rider to land a double back flip in competition, winning his first Moto X Best Trick Gold Medal. It is believed that only one judge did not rate the run 100/100, making the final score a 98.60, which is the highest score that will probably ever be put up. Not only do I admire Travis because he is the “best in the business”, but I also admire him because he is very humble. After every event he wins he never looks to boast or put other riders down, but instead to thank the fans for their support and all his sponsors who helped him get where he is. Travis is a charismatic, polite and determined individual who enjoys life to the fullest. He can be seen in most motocross and freestyle videos pushing the limits of the sport he loves. His habit of pushing the limit does not stop with racing though. He recently took up skydiving and he will be featured in a new video doing back flips on his 250cc Suzuki while jumping into the Grand Canyon. He also had a chance to drive a factory Subaru World Championship winning rally car in England. The first priority in the Pastrana family, though, has always been education. Travis is taking online classes at the University of Maryland, and is currently majoring in Communication and Broadcasting. Travis’s perseverance is always evident, whether it is in racing, freestyle, skydiving, or driving. Through it all, he has remained articulate, respectful, creative, down-to-earth, confident, and very, very fast. He has never bothered with tattoos, piercings, tantrums, or an overblown ego. Travis merely does what he loves to do, ride his motorcycle, which is the most powerful expression of all. Whether it is on land, sea or air, Travis Pastrana makes his mark.
Admiration for a Great Rider
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