Let’s talk about your background, a big motocross influence?
Huge motocross influence, motorbikes came a long time before any downhill action when I think back. I first got on my brothers Yamaha TY80 when I was eight years old, since that day I was hooked. Everything about motocross I love, it’s the most demanding, physical sport on the planet in my eyes and it has a great effect on downhill.
Do you feel you are ever at odds between the subtlety of cycling and the aggro of the engine?Never.
You’re not the type of character to back down?No way ha ha, the only advice my Dad has ever given me is to be scared of nothing. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere and being fazed by a certain section or jump, it’s all about taking risks and putting it on the line, that’s what people want to see. The greatest risk in life is to risk nothing…
Start 2006. Let’s just quickly recap your career to date. 2006 was your first season right? And in junior, second at nationals in Rhugog. What other memories of that year?Yeah, came in to Rhugog for my first national, second year junior, that was a gnarly race when I think back, ha ha. I went down on the Friday night with no idea what to expect! I went to get in my mates tent, there was no room…I slept outside in a sleeping bag. For anyone that was there they can probably remember it was about minus 10, snowing and pissing down. It was mental, the track was a total bog I was seeded really badly. I knew there would be some moto action going down and have to put in a few passes. I ended up passing three people in my run, it was pretty funny and I took the chicken line at the bottom, but all the juniors did, I got a top 20 overall so I could do a few world rounds that year. Best bit of that weekend was the elites agreed not to hit the chicken line, Warner had other ideas though and hit it, mad dog!
After that everything went downhill fast, I honestly couldn’t stay on my bike to save my life and it was probably just down to the fact everything was 110% I was so hungry to do well. I was my own worst enemy. In my eyes my only other highlight was the Fort William World Cup. I had only been once before, I think I did about ten runs a day and that was when there was Thursday, Friday and Saturday practice! My only goal was to qualify, I think that’s every rider’s goal at their first one. Fortunately I did, even with a small crash I think I was about 72nd, once you’re in anything can happen. I gave it all I had and 
ended up 58th, waaaaap I was stoked with that though, 7th junior, I didn’t know who Sam Blenkinsop or Cam Cole were, I was so naive I really had very little understanding of anything. A week after that race I went to a SDA and Ruaridh Cunningham said “you will probably make euros team after last week”. I was like “what’s the euros!?” A week later Helen Mortimer (GB Team Manager) rang me and told me I had been selected, I didn’t even know when the race was until a week before, that didn’t go down well with my boss!
