When I was racing (over 20 years ago: YIKES) the love of the sport was my primary focus and where I applied most of my attention. School sports were important as well as it taught me similar yet different ways to exercise my mind and use my muscles. Racing at the Mino-O’s, Ponca City, Missouri National; I always wondered, “How in the heck do these guys get so dang fast?” The answer is easy; they practice, train, and work-out more than everyone else. Yes, it takes some innate abilities to even want to jump on a dirt bike and “tackle the track.” The broadcast with Jett Lawrence after the Detroit Supercross brought up a great example; as I am the on-call mental health coach for FHR. This part of the interview says: On the broadcast you mentioned [the real] Jett Lawrence showed up. What’s the biggest difference from this to the past two weeks for you?
I think the biggest difference for me is my decision kind of making. The past few weeks have just been kind of not as good. Not so much on the riding side of things because my speed’ has been not too bad, but it’s just more poor executing and that stuff. So, yeah, I think what I mean by that, more just kind of mentally, decision wise (I didn’t re-word the interview so it’s a little choppy grammatically but nonetheless.) We believe this to be an important aspect of life in general. There are times in our lives when we know we got it, but our minds are not as sharp as we would like them to be. We write this as an encouragement for all our riders and partnerships; We may have the speed to operate at premier levels, but if we defeat ourselves before the race even begins; we’ve already lost the race. Keep in mind, don’t defeat yourself before the race even begins. Dream big, train hard, stay focused, keep your mind sharp, and keep your heart clean and clear. Even the best of the pros face the same dilemmas we face. My challenge: Look in the mirror and find who you are. The good, the bad, the ugly. Face yourself and conquer the negative thoughts that do not promote or foster a healthy lifestyle. They used to call me “Knocky” when I was racing. I won’t tell you why just yet but take a guess. Believe in yourself. Pray for God’s protection; and tackle your mind, like you tackle the track. #YouGotThis! For the full interview visit, Jett Lawrence on battling Jason Anderson, Crowd Reaction, Race Win in Detroit – Racer X (racerxonline.com)
Sean Cox
CRS/CHW-CPSP