Lane 8 BMX Podcast

Send us a textJeff has won every lap except one since the beginning of the season. Let that bit of information sink in. He only lost the one lap because of a flat tire. He says the results folks are seeing is because of carefully laid plans two years ago. Upshaw says what you're seeing is a faster first straight and an increased focus all the way across the finish line. Currently Jeff is in Ohio visiting family and putting in work for his next races. Minnesota, Upshaw is coming to put on a show. This year his goals are firmly planted at the worlds and turning the number two plate into a one. Jeff is always a fun interview and one of the coolest cats I've ever gotten the chance to sit and chop it up with. Enjoy. And, yes it feels good to be behind the mic once again interview the brightest and the best. I just needed a bit of a break. 

Send us a textKristaps Veksa is originally from Latvia. Yep, the same country as Maris Strombergs is from. He recently competed in the pump track world championships in Durban, South Africa. Ryan Gilchrist took home the rainbow jersey. Veksa began racing around five years old in 1999 in Saldus, Latvia. He had a BMX track right behind the apartment building he lived in. So, of course he was at the track all the time. He finished sixth in his first race. Since then he's won the Latvian national championship multiple times. He turned elite right after finishing school. It was a time when there was no U23 class so he jumped right into the deep end of racing with the big boys. He says it was a difficult time getting adjusted to the increased competition. Veksa says his break through moment came when he made the main of a euro cup in Latvia with Strombergs and Edzus Treimanis. He ended up fourth in that race. Veksa says he decided to stop racing for a multitude of reasons. So, he decided to move to Germany. He never stopped riding but simply didn't race. Veksa began training kids on how to race. He got the bug to compete again but this time it was on a pump track. Hitting the pump track eventually led him back to a BMX track. This time he passed on racing in the elite category and went straight to the challenge class. The culmination of his hard work was winning worlds in 2023 in the 25-29 challenge class. At the moment Veksa is working in a bike shop in Germany, riding for Radio frames, and he just proposed to his girlfriend.  Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us a textJustin Travis is the director of business development for USA BMX. He's got 17 years of experience in recreational programming of action sports. Sports like BMX racing, skateboarding to skydiving. I've been looking forward to speaking with Justin about some of the upcoming tracks to built and where and exactly how BMX is doing across the country compared to other sports. This interview is one of several discussions Justin and I plan to have about the sport we all love. I got lucky because he's so busy and travels quite a bit to get him when I did before Grands. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us a textAccording to the Cycling Museum of Minnesota, BMX became popular in the Land of 10,000 lakes in the 70's, with the first race in the state believed to have taken place at Rydjor Bike shop in Austin, Minnesota in 1974. In the mid 80's is when I started racing in Minnesota. I grew up in a time where I raced on tracks from Eden Prairie, Albert Lea to Richfield, where the famous Taft Park track was and is now gone. Hell I even raced indoors at the Armory in Downtown Minneapolis during the winter. In all that time I don't remember a state series. To me points were all about district points. Presently Minnesota has a thriving Minnesota BMX scene and state series. The state has 10 tracks where every track gets a qualifier. The series begins In July and ends late August. The finals is held at the ever famous "Rum River BMX' in Isanti, Minnesota. I recently sat down with Sam Falkowski and Tim Dobosenski who  are on the committee that organize the series. It's the second year of the committee and they have big plans for the series. 

Send us a textSo, I've decided to start a series that will hopefully cover the country. I'm interested in how the state series for each state in the union is doing. Now what I mean is how have they been running, how many races they have, how many racers participate, how well is the series doing, what are some of the challenges they face and what does the future look for their particular state series. Since I live in Florida it would only be right to start right here. Thanks to Drew Motley, Tom Johnson and Domingos Lammoglia I was able to contact head official Bill Robins. Here's what I will tell you, Bill took me to school on how the series runs, how the tracks work together, ridership and the partnership between the Florida state series and USA BMX. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us a textStefany Hernandez is a national treasure in her home country of Venezuela. BMX is in her blood and from day one it was all about tapping into her greatness. Her brothers started racing first. She says her mom would take her to the track while still in the womb. Stefany got third in her first race and it lit a fire in her belly to succeed. She would eventually travel the world to France and Switzerland to live, train, and work. She credits French coach Thomas Allier for taking her to the next level of competition. The world stage. Stefany would eventually win a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, become world champion, and hit World Cup podiums.In 2021 she called it quits on her career and moved back to Venezuela. Currently she is working on multiple ventures to help BMX in her country, the youth of her area, and helping out in the family business. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Michael Bias has had an up and down 2024 season of racing elite BMX. He's had injuries, he wasn't picked to represent New Zealand for the Paris Olympics but he did win the overall in the Coupe De France as a rider and he contributed to his team, "Bmx Besancon" winning the overall title in the Coupe De France for the first time. In this interview we talk about his mind set for the season, World Cups, the Worlds and what's left for him to race this season. I'll tell you, he 's racing an indoor in the South of France soon and then Grands. Yep, I said Grands. Michael is one of my favorites to speak with because he's honest, sincere, and an overall cool ass dude. When the season ends he's heading home to New Zealand for much needed break. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Quillan Isidore is one of the fastest elites in the world. Coming into the Olympics in Paris it looked like he was going to be an alternate for the GB team heading to Paris. For a moment it looked like he was going until a return call from Kye Whyte put paid to those dreams. Q was the second alternate after Ross Cullen. It meant he wasn't traveling to the Olympics nor did he get any swag. The let down forced him to do a reset. He's unsure he'll continue to receive funding from British Cycling. So, he's turned his eye to coaching to make up the difference to continue racing at a high level if things don't go his way. Quillan is even looking to bring his coaching skills to the United States for a stint. At 28 years old Quillan says he still has a lot left in the tank. He says he's clearly looking to make the Olympic team for the Los Angeles Olympics and to be honest I think he can. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Ethan Popovich is a stud. The Valparaiso, Indiana native began racing twelve years ago. He's ridden for teams like Mudslinger, DK Factory and currently Haro. He's a two time Junior National Champ, and he finished top ten at worlds in Rock Hill, South Carolina this year. Popovich is known as a very skilled rider. He's coached Olympic Gold Medalist Connor Fields. He recently began hitting the world stage at World Cups. He's been racing nationals like crazy this season. Popovich is looking to win the national amateur title this year. Grands is a big objective at the end of the season. Ethan says Tyler Whitfield and Olijuwon Davis are major influences on him as a person and racer. 

This topic in this episode was brought to me by Tony Stillinger, the owner of the "Extreme" team out of Florida. He's looking to increase the pro purses at races by creating a product line of goods and contributing money to the purses. Stillinger would eventually like a six race series strictly based on the money he generates from the product line. To give context on what it's like to be a pro we reached out to Dale Holmes, a former pro who raced during the hey day of big checks in the 90's, Cam Bramer, a current young pro who is doing what he can to make a living in the sport he loves and former pro and all things BMX guru Alan Foster.  

26 year old Philip Schaub is seeing a dream come true. He's made the German Olympic team for BMX. He got the call roughly two weeks after the European Championships in Verona, Italy. He was sitting at the table in his apartment when he got the call. The qualification process to make the Olympic team started in 2022. Schaub said it was a two part process. He said a rider had to earn points racing the World Cups and World Championships. The second part he said was really up to the coach of the national team. Schaub was nervous about making the team because of a severe injury. He had a disc prolapse in 2023. The injury was so bad that he eventually needed to have surgery. That surgery put him on the coach and it left him only ten weeks to get in shape and score some points at the World Cup in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He did something right because Schaub will be in Paris when the racing begins August 1st at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium. 

When this episode drops we'll be 18 days out from the Olympics and 24 days out from racing at the games. In this episode I look at all the countries who have riders heading to Paris, who are the riders and what chance they have of making it to the mains. I've even added my own predictions as to who will win gold, silver and bronze in the men's and women's races. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Adam Welter races in the 41-45 expert class. The Minnesota native has been throwing a leg over a race bike for 36 years. I met Welter when the family and I moved back to Minnesota in 2012. We eventually were on the same team, "Venom." The team would eventually become the #1 Bike shop team. I remember Welter as always having a smile on his face and happy to always give a kind word or a bit of advice for your racing. Whenever he was in the gate he was and is always in for the win. Nowadays Welter is riding for BlackWidow BMX. The team is one of the most competitive in the country. He's scaled back the number of nationals he races since he got married and a baby but he's still as lethal as ever. Welter started racing when he was 7 years-old. His first race was at the indoor track Elkhorn BMX in Wisconsin. He won his first race and the rest is history.This interview took place during the Land O' Lakes Nationals. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Georges Kreuzkamp is German and Canadian. He's a man I believe I was meant to meet. I have a podcast, he has a well known Facebook page for older racers, I race BMX, He races BMX. He and I have a number of mutual friends even though we live in two different countries. Kreuzkamp lives in White Rock, British Columbia. He rides for Factory Hydrogen and throws his leg over a Hydrogen OS20 and a cruiser.  At the moment he's running NAG #1 in class and cruiser and he's also National #5.Check this out, Georges younger brother is former NFL quarterback David Garrard of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

David Archibald is a winner and loves to win. His racing career started in San Diego, California. Within a short time his family moved to the state of Washington and he's been there ever since. Archibald told he never would have thought that at the ripe old age he'd still be racing at 55. He's literally been racing for roughly 45 years. Within that time he's ridden for teams like Kuwahara, Crupi, Phoenix Factory Racing to Truth BMX. Like I said he's a winner and the proof is in the pudding, he's been NAG #1, ROC #1, Redline Cup #1, District 3! and National #2. Archibald even had stints as an A-Pro and Vet Pro. Archibald describes himself as relentless, mentally tough with endurance. 

G.B.'s Ross Cullen is expecting the announcement this week of who is going to represent the elite team at the Olympics in Paris. The odds on favorite is Kye White. Cullen is playing the long game and has his sights on the 2028 games in Los Angeles and the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia if Paris doesn't go his way.At 23 years old Ross Cullen is a champion. He's already been a European Champion, twice World Champion, World #8 and a British Champion. You would think most people would call that a great career but not him. He's hungry. When we spoke the other day he'd been home a few days after a long block of racing. I'm talking the Tulsa World Cup, World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the Music City National in Nashville to the European Championships in Verona, Italy.  We talked about his season, travels, moving back to his parents house from Manchester, and what's next for the season if he doesn't make the Olympic team. I like this dude, he's good people and with all the folks I've interviewed on this podcast I wish Ross Cullen nothing but success.  

It's been a minute since I sat down with Austin McKan to talk about racing but this time things were a bit different. Austin has gone deep into coaching young riders. He even left Powerlite to start his own team. When I caught up with McKan he had just gotten back from the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Things didn't go his way as a rider but as a coach he is over the moon the way his riders performed. In this interview Austin is very thoughtful in his words when it comes to his riders. We touched on his coaching philosophy and we also talked about who we think will place top three at the Olympics for elite men and women. 

Here you go, as Todd Parry and I promised this is his World Championships recap. We go through his training before hand, his travel and arrival in Rock Hill, South Carolina to the race itself. Todd says he's happy with his race even though things didn't turn out like he wanted. The man is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to racing, preparation and overall life. As always I'm happy to sit down and talk to Todd.  Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

At 24 years old Christa Von Niederhausern has accomplished a lot in her life. She's a three time pump track world champion. Christa won her rainbow jersey's in 2018 in Arkansas, 2022 in Chile and 2023 in Austria. Christa originally started racing BMX right after her brother got the bug. The talented rider started doing Swiss Cups, Euro Rounds to World Cups and then decided she needed a change. She went to a pump track event and was hooked from there. Since then she's ridden over a hundred pump tracks. Some of her favorite tracks include Lisbon, Portugal to Zizers and Grimentz in Switzerland where she's from. At the moment she's got her hands full considering she's a full time athlete and she's in medical school to become a doctor. Christa told me don't worry she'll be ready for worlds later this year.  Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

If you don't know Johnny Goth you should. He's a cool ass dude. I met Goth when the family and I moved back to Minnesota. If you've hit a number of BMX scenes around the country you know some folks can be a bit standoffish until they feel you out. That wasn't Johnny Goth with me when I first met him. Every time he saw me he would speak, that went a long way with me considering I hand't raced BMX at home in years. Goth is a smooth rider who can jump anything on a track. I had heard he'd taken a break from racing but was still coaching. I like to keep my ear to the ground and hear what's going on in Minnesota's racing scene. Goth is back racing after going to school and starting a new career. He's racing 26-35 expert and he's doing quite well. I hope you enjoy this interview and if you seen Johnny Goth at a track walk up and say hi I'm sure he'll speak to you.  

Eddie Moore is one determined man. Originally from Axminster in the U.K. He's now living as a fully funded athlete in Manchester on the G.B. Olympic program. His 2024 racing season started out really well with a 2nd in the first round of the national series  and then a big win in round two. Moore wasn't chosen to travel to Tulsa for the last World Cups or the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina but he says he's making the best of his situation by training and staying focused on his goals.Moore hasn't had the easiest journey to get on the Olympic program. Injuries and a lack of funding set him back. By keeping his head in the game he did enough in 2022 and 2023 to get the call up. Some highlights for Moore include 2022/2023 national series champion and 3rd at the European Championships in 2022. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

I was excited for this interview and I think you can tell.  Todd Parry is a straight winner. When he lines up in the gate you automatically know this man isn't there for anything less than crossing the line first. We did this interview on Sunday. It was interesting to get his perspective on his start in the sport, winning his first national in Stockton, California, being the 2005 ABA World #1 Vet Pro to winning over 150 main events between 2010 - 2016 and becoming a world champion in 2017. After taking nearly seven years off he's back to race the 2024 World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. We talked about his preparations for the race, his mental game and what bikes he's riding. This interview will be released in two parts. So, enjoy this hour long conversation from one of the best in the sport. 

I was excited for this interview and I think you can tell.  Todd Parry is a straight winner. When he lines up in the gate you automatically know this man isn't there for anything less than crossing the line first. We did this interview on Sunday. It was interesting to get his perspective on his start in the sport, winning his first national in Stockton, California, being the 2005 ABA World #1 Vet Pro to winning over 150 main events between 2010 - 2016 and becoming a world champion in 2017. After taking nearly seven years off he's back to race the 2024 World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. We talked about his preparations for the race, his mental game and what bikes he's riding. This interview will be released in two parts. So, enjoy this hour long conversation from one of the best in the sport. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

I feel like I made a new friend when I got to speak with Papa G. Not one of those acquaintances but a real friend. He has that way of making you feel like you've known him for years and we actually talk all the time. He was just cool and funny. Papa G to me is one of the most well known and liked people in BMX and he isn't even pro. For years I heard about him and everything has been good. I'm like I got a podcast and I need to talk to this guy. I'm glad the St. Louis, Missouri native accepted the invitation. If you remember Papa G had a really bad crash at Grands last year. He's still recovering from that leg breaking situation. During this interview we talked about his recovery, family, BMX in the St. Louis area, how he got started and why he plans to continue. I hope you enjoy this interview because I surely did. 

Todd Kay is celebrating 40 years of BMX. He recently was inducted into the Omaha BMX Track Hall of Fame. Kay is originally from Long Island, New York. He raced mostly NBL. His first race was at Newbridge BMX Track and from the first time getting on a track Kay says BMX was his sport. He raced as much as he could. Kay remembers well piling his friends into his 75 Chevy van heading out to local and national races. Once out of high school Todd would go to college and continue racing on the weekend. He would eventually leave school and start working at an ice rink. That ice rink was built on the very spot where the Newbridge BMX Track used to be. Kay would eventually meet his now wife Gail at the ice rink.Getting to Nebraska and eventually moving there was as simple as visiting family and buying a house. Once moving to the cornhusker state Kay's racing and volunteerism ramped up. He would eventually become a track operator for seven years at Omaha BMX. To the present, Kay is racing BMX, mountain bikes and riding gravel events with his wife Gail. 

Holly Dunn is originally from Colorado. She started racing around 1982. Her Brother chad raced and she soon followed. Her first race was at Boothill BMX. Soon after she started racing her family moved to Arizona. Moving to AZ really kicked off her racing. The first team she rode for was Bike Barn. Dunn says she raced the boys most times. She says it was normal for her and her brother to hit three local races each day on weekends.  Dunn says hitting the national circuit soon followed. Her first factory team that sent all over the country was called ESP. Literally Dunn says she hit every race she could. The one thing she told she never worried about was burn out. Leaving ESP she went to Pedal Power for a short stint and eventually landed on the all girl team Titan. Eventually Dunn walked away from BMX. Before coming back in 2015 she would have two kids with freestyle legend Jim Burgess and living a bit of life. By 2018 Dunn said she enough is enough and moved on from BMX again. But like I say "Once BMX is in your blood it's hard to stay away." Dunn is back racing again on a part time bases. She even qualified for worlds this year. In this interview we also touch on her friendship with Robert Raymonde, losing Burgess, and her desire to continue racing. The Great AntidoteAdam Smith said, "Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Colin Stiles is one of the most colorful people in BMX. He's well known for the Transit videos series which I would think most of you world wide enjoyed. If I look in one of my bins in the garage I can guarantee you I would find probably two or three Transit videos. Stiles is the man behind "Stile Industries" with the cool t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts. He also has a long history of running BMX clinics all over the country. What you may not know is that Colin is a former A Pro and Vet Pro racer from right here in the Sunshine State. Colin has his own opinions about BMX and what I like about him is that no matter if his opinions are right or wrong he stands by them. This interview I really enjoyed and it's quite lengthy so I'll do this in two parts. Enjoy. 

Colin Stiles is one of the most colorful people in BMX. He's well known for the Transit videos series which I would think most of you world wide enjoyed. If I look in one of my bins in the garage I can guarantee you I would find probably two or three Transit videos. Stiles is the man behind "Stile Industries" with the cool t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts. He also has a long history of running BMX clinics all over the country. What you may not know is that Colin is a former A Pro and Vet Pro racer from right here in the Sunshine State. Colin has his own opinions about BMX and what I like about him is that no matter if his opinions are right or wrong he stands by them. This interview I really enjoyed and it's quite lengthy so I'll do this in two parts. Enjoy. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Anthony Cox is originally from Australia. His first move to Japan was in 1992. Before he even flew over he studied the language for four years. He stayed for four years and went back home. He says it took him till 2008 to return to Japan and live for good. Cox says he simply feels more comfortable living in Japan. He says his values are more in line with the culture. Cox says the BMX community in Japan is relatively small. He says there's about twelve racing tracks throughout the entire country. Cox says surprisingly there are no tracks in Tokyo. He says the racing is growing quickly. Local races at one time would bring in around a hundred riders and now he says the number is up to three-hundred. Here's something you may have not known, Cox is the sole importer and distributor for Redline bikes in Japan. Alfonso Giganti, that's right, "Papa G," is helping with that situation. Cox returned to racing after thirty-five years in 2020. In 2023 he finished 2nd in the 30 and over division. He's planning to better that standing in 2024.Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

I think it would be ok to say that Matthew Pohlkamp is a jack of all trades or rather a renaissance man. He went from having a great BMX career to becoming an established actor in Hollywood. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio he began his racing career at 11 years old. His dad bought him a Huffy bike from a grocery store. The first track he hit was River Star BMX. Pohlkamp got second in his first race. By the next year he was racing state races. When he turned expert by his own admission Pohlkamp says he got waxed. Hard work saw him eventually get picked up by the iconic brand S&M. Throughout his career he would ride for companies like DK, twice, Schwinn, Kuwahara, to Dan's Comp. Before his career ended Pohlkamp would race in the XGames and become a world champion. Pohlkamp got the acting bug after a friend encouraged him to take an acting class. From that day he's never looked back. He's done commercials, movies, and he recently finished work on the show "Grey's Anatomy." The episode is expected to run in April of this year. So, when I first said Pohlkamp is a jack of all trades I wasn't joking.  Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Tom Johnson calls Palm Coast, Florida home. Daytona BMX is his home track. At Grands in 2023 Johnson accomplished one out of two goals that season. He came away from the greatest race on earth as NAG #1 in the 56 and over class. He skillfully made it happen even after suffering a horrific crash that left him with broken ribs and blood clots weeks before Grands. He believes the rest he was forced to take actually helped him in Tulsa. I can't argue with that statement. Johnson says he started racing in 1981 at the age of thirteen in Connecticut. Johnson says he wasn't a natural at the sport but hard work pays off. He says he raced up down the coast from Connecticut to New York, New Jersey to Pennsylvania. Johnson would eventually stop racing in 1985. He would join a band and play guitar. Before he jumped back into the sport he would get married and have kids. In the 90's he would get back on the bike and eventually turn pro. Yes, he turned pro for SE Racing at the tender age of 30 years old. Johnson would eventually reclassify. A year out of the sport meant he would ride his bike but no racing. Around this time he moved to Florida and his racing would kick in. This guy has raced for some really cool teams like Standard, Yess, and now SSquared. This season Johnson is focused on one goal and that is two #1 plates at the end of Grands. I believe he's going to get what he's striving for. 

August 11th 2022 Connor Fields announces he's retiring from BMX. He says it was a difficult decision to make. He says literally his career ended on a body board. He suffered a traumatic head injury during the Tokyo Olympics from a crash. Connor told me it's not the way he envisioned the way his career would end. He said there was a moment he considered coming back for one more race. In the end he decided the good didn't outweigh the bad. So, Connor decided it was time to move on with life. The three time Olympian says he learned multiple life lessons from sport. He says he's able to use those lessons in his daily life now. A few of those traits he uses daily are discipline and focus. At the moment he's working as the host of "Outdoor Nevada." The show is on the PBS station in Nevada. He says it covers various topics like a waterfalls, old abandon ghost towns to mountain biking . Connor says they shoot for a three month period all over the great state of Nevada. He also is working as an agent, doing some public speaking and coaching. On an elite level he's working with young pro Joey Leto. Connor says BMX came naturally to him. He won Grands in his first year. He says he was all skill till 18-19 years old. He then was able to build that power to balance things out. As an amateur he won two NAG titles plus a NAG title in cruiser. Before he even turned pro he won a World Cup at 16 years old. At the moment Fields says his sponsors, Chase Bicycles to Monster Energy drink continue to support him. Plus he's still working out to stay fit.  Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Jason Donnell is one of the most impressive racers in the history of BMX. It's rare to say someone was talented at BMX from jump street but he was.  Donnell's career spanned more than two decades. He raced on some iconic teams like GT, GHP, Redline and CW to name a few.  In this episode of the "Lane 8 BMX Podcast" Donnell and I talk about the beginning of his career, the travel to burnout several times that nearly ended his career. These days he's helping his two boys with their cart racing, riding a mountain bike and simply enjoying life. 

Christopher Diaz has been racing for a long time. He started racing in the 7th grade in New Jersey 1989. His first race he got second. He loved it he says. Diaz raced mostly local and state races with the occasional national.He says at the time he was more power than skill. One of his favorites races from back then was the NBL's Christmas Classic. Diaz says he eventually turned expert at seventeen. He admits for a while he did sandbag for a season. He wanted to get his state number one. Diaz says the transition to expert was difficult. financially Diaz says he couldn't get to many nationals. Things began to change when he started working for TNT. He says working at TNT was his best and worst job. Eventually the owner of TNT put him on the factory team. This allowed him to race two and a half full seasons of nationals. Then one day he called it quits. He says racing began feeling like a job. So, he moved to Arkansas with his wife at the time and didn't think about. But as the saying goes, "Once a racer always a racer." He started racing again and eventually moved back to Jersey.  He eventually began racing for TNT Bicycles and that's where he's been ever since. Now he's living in Colorado with his fiancé Susie Levan and his mom. Yes, he's still racing. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Tracer Finn started his racing career in 1975 with his older brother Mike. His first assigned number was #480. Finn and his brother would race on a regular basis at Desert Surf and Williams Raceway back in the day. He says he wasn't very good when he started. His first sponsor was his dad. His first idol was a racer by the name of Sam Meek. Finn started lighting up the tracks around Nevada. At one point he was ranked #2 rider in the nation for the now defunct NBA. At the same time he was ranked #1 in Nevada in 16 and over expert. With this kind of stature his good friend Mike Miranda put in a good word for him to get on the famous CW racing team. He was always known for his jumping skills. Finn had many "Hot Shot" features in BMX Action. Finn turned pro in 1983 but was already working in show business which is the family business as a lighting expert. For a while he promoted and ran mountain bike races, Police athletic league events, and even owned a bike shop. For four years Finn was the team manager for specialized. He says working with riders during the X Games gave him a chance to live his childhood all over again. Today Finn continues to work in show business. Plus, he's in the National BMX Hall of Fame. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

20 year old Jesse Asmus is a determined young man. He clearly knows what he wants to do in life and BMX. He told me in order for him to become the best he's going to have to leave Australia. He says Sam Willoughby has inspired him to strive for greatness. Presently Asmus is ranked 4th in the world for U23. Last year he won the Oceania Championships and the overall Australian National series. Crazy to think it was his first year doing international racing. Asmus says the bigger the race the more pumped he gets to succeed. In 2024 he's working on his gates and first straight. He's planning to do the World Cup Calendar and spend some time here in the U.S. racing. 

Factory Full Tilt is a dope team. The team got their first number one factory title back in 2018 as Full Tilt Bike Co. Since then the Minnesota based team has been under the guidance of Jim Buchanan.  He's taken that team to five straight titles including one in 2023. When I spoke with Buchanan he was at his shop. He told me there were times last season that he didn't think the team was going to be able to keep the streak alive. By the time Grands rolled around he says they won the R.O.C. and Grands. Damn! Buchanan says it's really a testament to the parents and kids who travel all over the country to make it happen. In this interview Buchanan and I talk about organizing a team, how he picks riders for certain races, picking riders for the team, and the misconception people have about the pressures of riding for the best team in the nation.Here's an interesting little fact about Buchanan, he restores old cars for a living. 

It is the first day of 2024 and this is the first episode of the new year. Leading us off is a young man from Switzerland, Arthur Claessens. We did this interview at the end of 2023. At the time Claessens was in the middle of his military service with the Swiss Army. Sitting down with him and doing this interview I quickly realized I liked him. Claessens is intelligent, motivated, and humble at the same time. While doing his military service Claessens is working on his 2024 preparations for the new season. He's hitting the gym and literally riding on tracks in the dead of winter in Switzerland. He told me they have to shovel snow to ride tracks. In 2024 his focus isn't what you would think it would be. He's not concentrating on the Olympics but rather the World Championships and World Cups. He's looking further down the road to the summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.He finished his season at the prestigious St. Etienne BMX Indoor race. He made it as far as the semi on Sunday. Truth be told, any and everyone I've spoken to about that race has told me the fields are stacked and the racing is fast. Crazy thing is he's raced St. Etienne for 14 years.Claessens comes from a family of BMX racers starting with his dad Vincent. In fact his dad started one of the first BMX clubs in Switzerland in 1983. Out of six kids in the Claessens family four are currently racing. If you don't know is sister Zoe Claessens you've been living in a cave. She's dope. Arthur, I wish you the best of luck in 2024. 

Charlie Williams has a long history in BMX. He's raced for such iconic teams as Robinson, Hutch, GHP, and currently Zeronine. Lately though he's known more for the incident that unfolded at Grands with Harry Leary. He took an elbow to the back right after the finish line from Leary. Over the next month things went viral with Leary's response to the incident on social media and an interview with this very podcast. For his actions he was dropped by Factory Daylight and given a suspension from USA BMX. Since Williams was on the receiving end of the elbow by Leary I thought it best to reach out to him and get his side of the story.  He graciously agreed to do an interview with me. Not only did we speak about Grands but also about racing for Hutch and his recent move to Florida. I rather enjoyed this interview not just because of the Grands stuff but getting to speak with Charlie on all things BMX.

By now everyone has heard or seen what happened at Grands between Harry Leary and Charlie Williams who rides for Factory Zeronine. Leary says it's been an on going thing between him and Williams all season and it came to a head with an elbow to the back at Grands . This interview with Leary took place on December 7th while he was driving. I wanted to hear from him and get his views on the incident, the backlash, and losing Daylight Cycle Co. as a sponsor. In the end he's been suspended by USA BMX and under the same circumstances he told me he'd do it again. 

Michele Tomizioli is in the process of preparing for the 2024 season. He recently ended his season at the famous St. Etienne Indoor race in France. Just for reference St. Etienne is about an hour or so outside of Lyon. Tomizioli is from a town called San Giovanni Lupatoto it's not far from Verona, Italy. The 25 year old elite rider is coming off a difficult season. It all started with a back injury from the 2022 season. Right after racing the Verona European Cup in 2023 he had to pull the plug for two months. It took him a minute to get the thing straightened out. Once he got going it was like playing catchup the rest of the season. Tomizioli has made some much needed changes. He's changed from an Italian to a French coach. This means he'll be spending more time in France next year. He thinks the change will help him when it comes to the technical skills on the bike. Literally we did the interview when he'd just come back from France from having a training camp. Surprisingly Tomizioli's focus next season will primarily be the European Cup series, selected World Cups and the European Championships which are being held in Verona, Italy. Dude is cool and a fun interview. I hope you enjoy our talk as much as I did.  

Quillan Isidore is one of my favorite pros. I've followed him on social media to YouTube for years. So when I started my own podcast he was one person I wanted to interview. Meeting someone you admire doesn't always turn out how you want it. But with him I had a blast getting the chance to know him. In this episode we talked about him getting 3rd in round 10 of the World Cup in Argentina. Both weekends in Argentina according to Isidore were his most consistent. He even says it changed his mentality. Isidore had an up and down season with winning races in Tours, France, a couple Euro cups, a British Championship, and injuries. He has a no give up attitude I admire. We touched on his long time friendship with Tre and Kye Whyte, the changing of the guard from coach Marcus Bloomfield to former pro Kyle Evans, and the young guns Ross Cullen to the ever stylish Paddy Sharrock.At the moment Isidore is back in training for the new season and hopefully a place on the GB Olympic team in Paris. 

Richard Huvard is the founder and owner of Daylight Cycle Co. This man has a long and prolific history in BMX.  Huvard has a design background, he's started two tracks, worked with Mike Redman, ran Staats, ran factory Diamond Back and he helped with the transition of the ABA to USA BMX. When it comes to Daylight he says he's the guy with the ideas and he has a genius team around him that bring his ideas to life. In this interview we talk about R&D of products, The Daylight name, his team roster and where he sees his company in the future. This is one of those interviews I would advise you to make some time for it, grab a drink and prepare to learn. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Robert Raymonde is originally from Queens, New York. His family eventually moved out west to Colorado. His cousin and George Goodall were racing at the time and it peaked Raymonde's interest and he jumped in the car with them. His first race was in Aurora, Colorado. He says the scene in Colorado in the 80's was hot. At a local race he said they'd regularly have 70 motor. Raymonde says state wide at the time there were close to 10 tracks. He raced mainly in the Denver area racing mostly on the weekends. Raymonde says he wasn't a natural at the sport. He was fast but struggled with skill and crashed a lot. Once he finished high school Raymonde packed up his van and drove out to California. His first stop was Sacramento. He stayed there for a bit but eventually moved to Southern California. The pro bug bit him and he raced mainly in the A-pro class. He said he knew how to work the system to not have to move up with the big boys. In 1987 Raymonde left BMX. He'd gotten married and those responsibilities took charge. 7 years he was away from racing but in 1994 he was back on a track. Ever since then he hasn't stopped and he's not planning on it. 

Brandon Cato is an enigma for me. I don't mean that in a bad way. What I mean is he simply moves to his own beat. One minute you'll see him at the track and the next minute he's focused on school and you don't see him for a while. It's not that he doesn't love BMX it's just that Cato has a variety of interests and he likes to explore them. Here's the crazy thing, when he gets back on the track it is as if he never left. He's crazy fast and hella smooth. It's as if the guy is never out of shape. At the moment he's in school and preparing for Grands. Being the private guy that he is I was surprised he agreed to do an interview with me.  I caught up with him on a Saturday while I was in Minnesota. I literally did the interview in my hotel room. I brought my podcast equipment with me because I wasn't going to miss this opportunity. Sitting in my hotel room looking out the window we talked about school, riding and racing for B.A.B.S, his admiration for Sam Willoughby and Maris Strombergs and the future.  

Evan Schaefer started his for pro season in Houston this year He says it took him by surprise in how hard the racing was. This comes from a guy who's been racing with the pros in the Florida state series since he was an amateur. He says the toughest part is fighting for every position. His first half of the season was plagued by a hip injury, then a dislocated shoulder and now a bad knee. So at the moment Schaefer is focusing on his health. Mentally it's been tough on him. Schaefer says living in Sarasota is a blessing. He lives only 30 minutes from the facility that has a supercross track. He believes it gives him an advantage and a sense of comfort. At five Schaefer started riding dirt bikes. His parents got him into BMX because they thought it was safer. Look at him now going head first down an eight meter hill. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

George Goodall started racing in 1979 when his friend Jack invited him to a BMX race. He was living in Boulder, Colorado with his dad at the time. His first race he got last in every Moto. A month later Goodall made the box and the rest is history. George says riding the streets of Boulder helped him become one with his bike. He raced a lot on the local scene at the Adam's county indoor and at Castlerock. He attributes the rides from Robert Raymonde's dad for helping getting to races to improve. He didn't hit the national scene until he was 15 years old. Goodall says the national racing wasn't easy for him. By the time he was 18 years old he turned pro. He sums up his pro career even after turning AA pro twice as a "5th place semi guy." He would eventually retire because of family commitments. As soon as his son was able to race Goodall turned his attention from show cars back to bikes. He would eventually race for Redline. Some people have all the luck when having teammates like Jason Carnes, Denzel Stein, Alise and Sam Willoughby to Jeff Upshaw. The team would eventually fold and Goodall would end up racing for his current sponsor Supercross. I had a lot fun with this interview. Goodall is funny, informative, and an all-around good guy. 

Martti Sciortino is a member of the Italian National BMX Team. He's a six time national champion and a 2 time European Champion silver medalist.  This interview took place right after the Sarrians, France World Cup Races and just before he flew off to Argentina for the final World Cups of the season. Sciortino is a really chill dude. He's raced all over the world including here in the U.S. and Grands twice. He says he likes racing in the states and that level of competition is high. His only gripe is that he thinks the tracks aren't technical enough. Sciortino says racing the elite class can be humbling. He says he's never been a first straight guy so he's had to learn how to maneuver within the pack.He started racing in 2004 when he was six years old. His parents took him to a track about 30 minutes from their home. Sciortino says he got good quickly but by the time he was a teenager things got tough. He considers himself a late bloomer. Sciortino says he's fully focused on making the Italian Olympic team heading to Paris in 2024. He'll be 26 next year so he'll decide whether he wants to take his racing a bit further to the L.A. Olympics. Outside of BMX Sciortino recently finished his degree in sports science and is planning on pursuing his masters.Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Weston Meurlot is a cool ass dude. I've spent some time around him because of racing the Florida State Series. He's down to earth but focused.  2023 is his first year in the pro ranks. So far it's been a steep learning curve but he's adjusting. Meurlot started his season in Houston, Oldsmar, and then Tulsa. Oklahoma is where disaster struck. He was there training at a USA Cycling camp when he crashed face first into a jump. He lacerated his kidney and spleen and strained his PCL in his knee. Meurlot was out of racing for a solid 3 months. He said the hardest part about recovery was sitting still. For the past three years Meurlot has been coached by Arielle Martin. He says she's tough as nails and quite analytical in her approach. Meurlot says she's the perfect coach for him. Meurlot says getting to full health is his goal and he's looking forward to the rest of the season. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Nathan Anderson is truly one of fastest and most skilled 15 experts in the country. He rides for Black Widow, a team that is always in the running for bike shop team of the year. Anderson's season started early and it really hasn't let up until recently because he also plays football. So, this kid is having to split his time between training for BMX, football and school. He credits BMX for giving him the discipline to manage it all. This year he's accomplished his first goal of winning a state championship. Now, he's trying to get in the N.A.G. 5 challenge at Grands. I've known Anderson since he was probably 8 years old. He's always been a good kid because he has great parents. I would also say the folks and teammates he has at Black Widow have helped to keep this kid focused and humble. To tell the truth I'm biased and I wish him nothing but success in whatever does. 

Jessie Smith is one of my favorite interviews so far with this podcast. Yes, this young lady from New Zealand is a six time world champion but it isn't just her racing that I adore about her. It's her self awareness. Jessie was at the top of a young career in BMX and realized something wasn't right. She needed and decided to work on her mental health and she made the decision to step back and focus on it. She says she simply couldn't figure out her "why" when it came to racing. It's been several years since Jessie made her decision to take time away from elite racing. So what has she been up to? Well, of course she's worked on her mental health but she's also worked as a house painter, day laborer, farming to working at a motorcycle shop among other jobs. Jessie says she's trying to live a full life. Jessie says she's blessed to have a great core of family and friends who have supported her journey of inspiration, revelation and pride learning who she is away from the bike. Don't sell her short Jessie is looking to race again.  She says she's been riding a bit. So, I say watch out ladies Jessie Smith is coming.