Saying goodbye to anyone is never a happy moment in time. The sad truth of the matter is, that’s life. We can’t have “good” without “bad”. It’s just so real when it happens to a loved one in our lives and it hurts.
Dave was more than a BMX legend to me. He impacted the lives of millions, including myself, to a degree I don’t think anyone would understand if they had never met Dave. He was inspiring, to say the least. On a daily basis, he pushed life to grow and progress. You could never not go big enough with life. That is where I started to catch on to what life meant to me.
Dave’s words before going into a life or death brain surgery, in 2010, taught me giving up was not an option. It’s how I have lived my life for years now and will continue to do so in his honor. It’s the base behind my tattoo “Fear is just a thought, thoughts can be changed”. When Dave told me I could something, on or off my bike, it empowered me to a level I thought anything was possible without fear.
Dave is my hero, as he is to many others. He was an incredible dad to his two daughters. He was an incredible friend who’d do what he could to help others. Dave had a huge heart and passion for his life and all that it contained.
Dave is the reason I took a second look at my life and thought “how could I be healthier and perform better on my bike”. He is the catalyst for my passion towards something other than my bike, which is a much larger scale than my bike, but towards my own health and happiness. It’s what has also given me courage through brain surgery and led me to protect my brain and the risks of improper lifestyle choices that can harm our brains.
Hitting your head has consequences and the reality of that is that it’s hard to accept. I’ve become very passionate about my brain and it’s thanks to guys like Dave and his influence in my life, in which I can’t explain, that have led me to seek out how to progress that aspect of my life and its importance. I’m forever thankful for that, Dave. 💚
I’ll always remember Dave as the hard working, passionate, most driven person I’ve ever met and my biggest role model. I’ll always remember the morning sessions in Greenville and my learning tricks or be trying ridiculous gaps because Dave said I could do it, or pushed me to do it because he had faith in me
It wasn’t until recently that I learned how much love and respect Dave had for me. I asked Dave to lunch to talk about my goals for Bmx and my dreams that scared me. Dave was behind me 100% and told me I got it. That was all I needed to hear to learn once again we can do whatever it is we want in our lives.
I can’t even put into words the amount of respect I have for that man. It’s a dream come true and an honor to call him my friend after working so hard to just meet him on my bike one day. When I can ride, I’m riding in Dave’s honor. I am going to go even bigger on and off my bike.
I love you, Dave! Ride In Peace
