Evolution By: Debbie Matthews
As many of you know, my passion is
racing. Not just any racing, although you
would be hard pressed to find those who know me not emphatically shout, just how
competitive I am in everything I do. My
passion is Motocross !! But it's more than
just a passion. Dare I say, an
obsession ??? My Sport doctor (surgeon) will
vouch for my passion for the sport. My doc is
a personal family friend, having mended our entire household more than once and he makes
house calls !!! Thanks, Pablo, for all the
years stitching, cutting, pasting, gluing and in general providing miracles, to keep me in
the sport I love. Yes, I know…I am
certifiably nuts, by your account, but you take care of my stupidity anyway.
I have an over abundance
of energy and passion for the sport. To say I
live it is an understatement. With 27 years
of racing under my belt, endless nights working in the garage, splitting cases, finding
just the right combination, workouts, mountain bike rides, crashes, bruised egos,
shattered bones and confidence, euphoria in winning a championship, despair in losing,
fear of failure, failure, politics, huge crowds, motocross schools, teaching, consoling,
educating, lobbying, mentoring… all have shaped me into the person that I am.
I've had many memorable experiences. Some were painful, some humorous, some euphoric,
and some outright stupid. Some of my more
embarrassing experiences involve pride. When
one is searching and finds that perfect balance of fitness, confidence, poise and skill. This is the point when we are at our best, yet set
ourselves up for some of life's biggest lessons. When….brimming
with confidence, we wheelie down pit row, only to hit a patch of mud, slide out of control and crash in front of the entire pits during a
National.
Another lesson in pride occurred after
successfully teaching a motocross school for women. I
decide to call it a day. The women, whom I
have just trained and successfully gotten them to complete a double they wouldn't have
dreamed of doing only a few hours before, ask me to do the double. I decline, saying I'm tired and head towards the
pits. On the way, you think to
yourself…. Hey, why not ?? I'm the big, bad pro.
Yeah I'll go over there and just speed double it.
Heck, I'll be hitting it two gears higher then they did. Yeah, it will be cool. SO, you spin around and hit the jump wide open in
fourth gear. Yeah, BIG AIR !! This looks cool.
Just as you smile to yourself, you realize with sickening clarity that yes, you got
big air, only it's straight up and not out. You
realize, you are coming up short, because you failed to do what you taught only moments
before. You calm yourself, relax and try to
absorb the impact, grabbing a handful in
hopes the momentum will pull you through. You
realize that yes, you are going to make a big impression, just not the one you planned on. The bike hits and rebounds so hard that it flips
over landing upside down 35 feet further down the track than the initial impact.
As the forks collapse, you flip over
onto your side, only to have the bike land flat on top of you, cracking a wisdom tooth. The seat shreds, upper and lower handlebar mounts
rip loose, sub frame bends and shock dog bone break, but you walk away unharmed. Except that wisdom tooth. Ah well, you didn't need that tooth anyway ! You try to ride a few days later but are so sore
from the impact, you call it a day after 45 minutes.
It just hurts too much to ride. But
before you pack it in for the second time, your students woo you over to the double. There they all meet you and cheer as you roll
through the double, only to look over and see a big sign posted on a tree proudly
proclaiming this as "Debbie's Double" as the riders all hold up score cards with
the number 10 on them.
I love racing. I love the excitement. The rush. Living
on the edge. Making split second decisions
that decide whether I win, lose, or crash. If
we are honest with ourselves, this is probably why we all race. Each race is different with new challenges. New faces, different conditions, your mental state
and those of your competitors changes. You
plan, but along the way come surprises. You
must adapt quickly. Analyze the situation,
make changes and decisions quickly. These
learning experiences make us risk takers and help us to excel in life and in business. We are not afraid to hang it all out, because deep
inside we KNOW that we can do it. We are the
adventures, explorers, and inventors of the past generations.
Yes, I love moto'in. Throwing a big roost, catching big air, playing
with friends… With 7 major surgeries in
the past 10 years, that passion and desire has been severely tested. Can I come back yet again ? Do I
posses the courage to battle age, injury and fear in a sport that tolerates none of the
above ??
In all honesty, as far as my racing goes, I just don't know. Even with all that passion oozing from every pore, injuries have left their scars emotionally, physically and in confidence. I love racing, but the price now to race again is very high. It will take time, a lot of time to get my body back in shape physically and emotionally. But I am putting this experience to work. For years I have slowly been evolving from one of racer to one of a mentor. Injuries have forced me to look at myself. To re-evaluate why I still pursue the sport. My goals have changed. My definition of winning has evolved. Winning is an all-consuming passion that involves hard work, dedication, sacrifice, endless hours in the gym and at the track. A single mind, with one goal, CHAMPION. This is still true, although I have come to realize that winning comes in many forms. Yes, I won a National Championship. Yes, I hold the record for the longest pro and amateur career for women in Motocross. Yes, I have an AMA MVP award. Yes, I have helped shape our sport and blaze the trail for women who wish to compete. And yes, I have paid the price.
Winning means evolving. Rising up to meet adversity head on. Winning means picking ourselves up when we fail,
dusting ourselves off and going forward. It
means never giving up, despite the hand we are dealt.
This is winning. No, I may
never do a triple again. But I can teach. I can give back.
I can mentor, I can be an example.
After 27 years in competition, I am
still competing. Although getting around a
track is a lot harder on the knees now, I am still out in the trenches, busting down
doors, meeting with people who can make a difference, schmoozing, politicking, educating,
lobbying, all for the evolution of the sport. I
am grateful for the opportunity to be a pioneer in the sport. To have the opportunity to make a difference. For the opportunity to stand up and say I love to
ride ! From those who know me
best, I wouldn't bet against me. The word NO,
or CAN'T simply never made it into my vocabulary.
Years from now, trophies will be
broken, our names and accomplishments largely forgotten, but the impact that will remain
is in our contributions to those around us. How
we evolved and changed the lives of those around us.
Did we help them reach their full potential? Did we give them a glimpse of who they really are
and what they can accomplish? Did we
recognize our own potential and evolve to our own personal potential of greatness?
As a woman in a predominantly male
sport, we sit on the cusp of Evolution. Due
to the efforts of many, Women's Motocross is beginning to ride into the big time. The road has been long and perilous. Many have scoffed, but still we raced. Many laughed, but still we raced. Many have tried to derail the women's movement in
the sport, but our passion was too great to be denied.
Such is the case with me.
So here I still am. Waist deep in the trenches, shouting to the world,
YES, women you can ride, just go do it. To
those who came before, and those who are blazing the trail as we speak, THANK YOU for your
dedication, passion and love for the sport. It
is because of your sacrifice and dedication we stand poised to finally be accepted as
professionals in the sport. We are not there
yet, but that evolution is coming, and soon.