Since the invention of sports, athletes have been idolized and worshiped for their accomplishments on and off the field. Some athletes are inspirational; they have become role models and mentors for many children including myself. When I was growing up, some of my biggest idols were athletes. Track star, Jackie Joyner Kersee, swimmer, Matt Biondi, and volleyball player, Karch Kiraly were among some of the athletes that I looked up to. I even grew up at the same time as Marion Jones; I looked up to her as well. When allegations of doping started to circulate about one of my hero’s, I was stunned and refused to believe such blasphemous rumors. I defended Jones, I believed her when she said her accomplishments were due to hard work and dedication. I now know how naïve I was. I was so disappointed that someone I had looked up to for so many years could cheat and lie in order to win. That to me was a disgrace.
Unfortunately it has become all too common place; athletes these days are making poor decisions and becoming less and less viable options as good role models.
It goes beyond just doping however, illegal dog fighting by Michael Vick, who was the poster boy for the NFL, with millions in endorsements and advertising, he had everything in the palm of his very young hand. NFL player Dante Stallworth, was recently found guilty of drunk driving after he hit and killed a man in Florida.
Since the dawn of sports, athletes have always been looked up to, it seems sad that so many choose to go down the wrong path. Are there any good athlete role models left?
I think there is a beacon amongst all the burned out former lights that once used to shine. His name is Travis Pastrana.
Pastrana, who is only 26, has already accomplished more in his sports, than many athletes will in the course of a lifetime. Pastrana was born in 1983 in Maryland; his father is an ex-marine, who is in his own right, a daredevil with a wild streak. It is no wonder where Travis gets his wild side from. By the time he was four years old he was all ready on his first motorcycle. He exhibited tremendous talent and natural ability even at that early age. By the time he was fifteen, he was five-time National Amateur Champion, two- time Canadian National Champion, five-time Loretta Lynn Champion, and he had won the World Freestyle Championship at age fourteen. He was the youngest rider ever on Team USA when they won Motocross de Nations in 2000 by the age of sixteen. Travis won his first X Games gold medal in 1999 when he won Moto X. He has accumulated over fourteen medals (nine gold) through X Games as well as five gold medals through the Gravity Games. From 1998-2003 Travis never lost a freestyle competition that he entered. His first defeat came in 2004 after he had taught one of his main competitors, Nate Adams how to do a back flip. Travis was competing with a concussion after he crashed his bike the day before attempting a 785 foot 360. He still got second place and won a silver medal. Travis didn’t only want to win; he wanted to make the sport better. He would rather have competition than win too easily.
He has amassed more titles and medals then I can mention, as well as several Guiness records, including the first and only double-back flip landed in competition. It is not only his accomplishments in sports that make me believe that he is a good role model, but his outlook on life and “good old boy” persona.
Travis is proof that you do not have to pick either your sport or an education, you can do both. Like many things in Pastrana’s life, just doing well, wasn’t good enough. Pastrana graduated from high school three years early at the age of fifteen with a 3.9 GPA.
That would be a huge accomplishment by its self, but he did it all while he was accumulating huge triumphs in his sport. Travis is also maintaining a 4.0 GPA in college at the University of Maryland. Even though he has made a successful career in his sports and amassed quite a fortune, he wants to make sure he has an education to fall back on.
Pastrana comes from a very close nit family; he grew up in the house next to his grandmother, where his uncles, who own a construction company, still meet for lunch on a daily basis. When he was young and money was tight the family triple mortgaged the home to find ways to keep him in motocross. When that was not enough his aunts and uncles all pitched in too. He has mentored many athletes at his 100 acre compound in Maryland where he has taught several riders to back flip, including female Motocross Champion, Jolene Van Vugt, who was the first female to do a back flip in competition. He also spends a fair amount of time filming extreme stunts with his pals from Nitro Circus, including former FMX great Andy Bell, pro skier, Erik Roner and Van Vugt.
“Travis has a real strong sense of who he is, I think that’s because we let him make mistakes. We let him fall, but we were always there to support him and pick him up.” Pastrana’s mom told ESPN. She can be found cheering him on at his competitions, while praying for his safety. His daredevil ways have not escaped injury; he has had over 25 concussions, more than 60 broken bones, and 15 knee surgeries. He is also only the third person in medical history to dislocate his spine from his pelvis and survive. Travis has even competed during major championships while injured. His never quit mentality is quite inspirational; it’s going to take an awful lot to keep this guy down. “That drive to come back from an injury, sets you apart and is what makes you one of the top competitors,” fellow athlete and friend, Tony Hawk said of Pastrana.
He considers himself a risk analyst and likes to look at things in terms of, worst case scenario divided by percentage chance of failure, towards success. “I calculate risk for a living” he says. His other calculation is; fun, plus or minus money, plus reward, minus risk. His dad told ESPN, “consequences be damned, if something is do-able, DO IT!” That has been Travis mantra since he was a kid. He used that kind of thinking when he back-flipped his motorcycle into the Grand Canyon.
Some of his other hobbies include base jumping, BMX, jet skiing, mountain biking, his latest passion rally cars and skydiving. Some of Travis’ nicknames include; Good ol’ boy, Mr. Nice Guy, and the gimp. He lists his most treasured possessions as his family, friends and his foam pit. He has been described as; Howdy Doody meets Wally Clever, not your typical rock star, and kind of a dork. He always makes time for his fans and has even stayed at competitions as late as 2:00 am, in order to sign every last fan’s autograph. He is unpretentious and his positive, very likable personality has made him a media darling, landing him on shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
He is always seen smiling and enjoying life to the fullest. “If I die doing what I’m doing, don’t worry, I’m fine,” he told his mother, right before he attempted the first ever double-back flip in competition. “I was either gonna land it or die.” To the delight of millions of fans that were watching, including myself, he landed the jump. The crowd went nuts, as did I, I even got a little emotional when the camera panned to his mother and you could see the tension and fear leave her as she cheered her son on.
His fearless attitude and belief in his own abilities is inspiring to multitudes of fans and future athletes. More people would be better off if they had his never quit mentality.
“My strengths and my weaknesses are the same: I’ve got the willingness and the stupidity to try anything. If I think it’s even remotely possible, I’ll do it.”-Travis Pastrana
Unfortunately it has become all too common place; athletes these days are making poor decisions and becoming less and less viable options as good role models.
It goes beyond just doping however, illegal dog fighting by Michael Vick, who was the poster boy for the NFL, with millions in endorsements and advertising, he had everything in the palm of his very young hand. NFL player Dante Stallworth, was recently found guilty of drunk driving after he hit and killed a man in Florida.
Since the dawn of sports, athletes have always been looked up to, it seems sad that so many choose to go down the wrong path. Are there any good athlete role models left?
I think there is a beacon amongst all the burned out former lights that once used to shine. His name is Travis Pastrana.
Pastrana, who is only 26, has already accomplished more in his sports, than many athletes will in the course of a lifetime. Pastrana was born in 1983 in Maryland; his father is an ex-marine, who is in his own right, a daredevil with a wild streak. It is no wonder where Travis gets his wild side from. By the time he was four years old he was all ready on his first motorcycle. He exhibited tremendous talent and natural ability even at that early age. By the time he was fifteen, he was five-time National Amateur Champion, two- time Canadian National Champion, five-time Loretta Lynn Champion, and he had won the World Freestyle Championship at age fourteen. He was the youngest rider ever on Team USA when they won Motocross de Nations in 2000 by the age of sixteen. Travis won his first X Games gold medal in 1999 when he won Moto X. He has accumulated over fourteen medals (nine gold) through X Games as well as five gold medals through the Gravity Games. From 1998-2003 Travis never lost a freestyle competition that he entered. His first defeat came in 2004 after he had taught one of his main competitors, Nate Adams how to do a back flip. Travis was competing with a concussion after he crashed his bike the day before attempting a 785 foot 360. He still got second place and won a silver medal. Travis didn’t only want to win; he wanted to make the sport better. He would rather have competition than win too easily.
He has amassed more titles and medals then I can mention, as well as several Guiness records, including the first and only double-back flip landed in competition. It is not only his accomplishments in sports that make me believe that he is a good role model, but his outlook on life and “good old boy” persona.
Travis is proof that you do not have to pick either your sport or an education, you can do both. Like many things in Pastrana’s life, just doing well, wasn’t good enough. Pastrana graduated from high school three years early at the age of fifteen with a 3.9 GPA.
That would be a huge accomplishment by its self, but he did it all while he was accumulating huge triumphs in his sport. Travis is also maintaining a 4.0 GPA in college at the University of Maryland. Even though he has made a successful career in his sports and amassed quite a fortune, he wants to make sure he has an education to fall back on.
Pastrana comes from a very close nit family; he grew up in the house next to his grandmother, where his uncles, who own a construction company, still meet for lunch on a daily basis. When he was young and money was tight the family triple mortgaged the home to find ways to keep him in motocross. When that was not enough his aunts and uncles all pitched in too. He has mentored many athletes at his 100 acre compound in Maryland where he has taught several riders to back flip, including female Motocross Champion, Jolene Van Vugt, who was the first female to do a back flip in competition. He also spends a fair amount of time filming extreme stunts with his pals from Nitro Circus, including former FMX great Andy Bell, pro skier, Erik Roner and Van Vugt.
“Travis has a real strong sense of who he is, I think that’s because we let him make mistakes. We let him fall, but we were always there to support him and pick him up.” Pastrana’s mom told ESPN. She can be found cheering him on at his competitions, while praying for his safety. His daredevil ways have not escaped injury; he has had over 25 concussions, more than 60 broken bones, and 15 knee surgeries. He is also only the third person in medical history to dislocate his spine from his pelvis and survive. Travis has even competed during major championships while injured. His never quit mentality is quite inspirational; it’s going to take an awful lot to keep this guy down. “That drive to come back from an injury, sets you apart and is what makes you one of the top competitors,” fellow athlete and friend, Tony Hawk said of Pastrana.
He considers himself a risk analyst and likes to look at things in terms of, worst case scenario divided by percentage chance of failure, towards success. “I calculate risk for a living” he says. His other calculation is; fun, plus or minus money, plus reward, minus risk. His dad told ESPN, “consequences be damned, if something is do-able, DO IT!” That has been Travis mantra since he was a kid. He used that kind of thinking when he back-flipped his motorcycle into the Grand Canyon.
Some of his other hobbies include base jumping, BMX, jet skiing, mountain biking, his latest passion rally cars and skydiving. Some of Travis’ nicknames include; Good ol’ boy, Mr. Nice Guy, and the gimp. He lists his most treasured possessions as his family, friends and his foam pit. He has been described as; Howdy Doody meets Wally Clever, not your typical rock star, and kind of a dork. He always makes time for his fans and has even stayed at competitions as late as 2:00 am, in order to sign every last fan’s autograph. He is unpretentious and his positive, very likable personality has made him a media darling, landing him on shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
He is always seen smiling and enjoying life to the fullest. “If I die doing what I’m doing, don’t worry, I’m fine,” he told his mother, right before he attempted the first ever double-back flip in competition. “I was either gonna land it or die.” To the delight of millions of fans that were watching, including myself, he landed the jump. The crowd went nuts, as did I, I even got a little emotional when the camera panned to his mother and you could see the tension and fear leave her as she cheered her son on.
His fearless attitude and belief in his own abilities is inspiring to multitudes of fans and future athletes. More people would be better off if they had his never quit mentality.
“My strengths and my weaknesses are the same: I’ve got the willingness and the stupidity to try anything. If I think it’s even remotely possible, I’ll do it.”-Travis Pastrana
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