In 2009, I won my first major pro contest, rode X-Games, and continued riding Dew Tour for my third pro year…all with a massive brain tumor that I didn’t know I had.
The signs and symptoms were there, but no doctor would give me a scan and would just send me home with pain pills. They don’t settle well with my stomach so I never used them but took to alcohol to ease the pain and pressure in my brain that would be so intense at times that I’d start loosing my vision and throw up.
In 2010, I tried a flair whip on a real ramp for the first time and over rotated and hit my head. Because of this crash, an MRI was necessary. I’ll never forget being told “well, no swelling or bleeding in your brain. But, there’s a mass taking up the left portion of your brain that shouldn’t be there.”
I was freshly 21 when I was given a death sentence. Since then, I’ve been diagnosed 2 more times over the years leaving me with 4 brain tumors after a 6 hour surgery and Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
That said, I’m still riding today at an elite level and doing my best to share the power of the mind, nutrition, and fitness with others in an effort to see people live the healthiest and happiest today. 💚✌️
-Josh P.