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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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Jake Peebles started racing in the summer of 1996 just before turning six. His first race was at Oak Creek BMX which is still going strong to this day. He says BMX was quite a learning curve. It took him 3 years to make a national main. Peebles says he's thankful to Greg Hill and Harry Leary for their guidance when he was young. 

By the time he was sixteen Pee blew had won Grands and was picked up by Dan's Comp. He eventually went pro in 2010. He says the toughest part about going pro wasn't the physical but the mental aspect. He says if you're used to winning and then struggling to make mains it's easy to lose confidence. He's thankful for the A pro class that gave him a chance to ease into the pro ranks. 

In 2012  Peebles tried to make the long team for the Olympics but because of a crash he didn't make it. 

He started his team J.E.T BMX in 2014 because of his love for coaching and desire to pick his own sponsors. 

Presently he's coaching, running his team and racing Vet Pro

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Elwin Remmerts is a BMX talent. If you watch him race or even practice you'll quickly understand why I said that. He's incredibly skillful and smooth around a track. 

Remmerts started his 2023 season in France. From there he hit the Euro Cup races in Verona, Italy, Zolder, Belgium, and recently Portugal. He's also raced World Cups this year in Papendal, his home track to train on and Turkey.  At the Dutch National Champs he struggled a bit but his best lap of the day was the final. He ended up 5th in the race. He only has about four races left in the season.  

In this episode we talked about his start in BMX and traveling with his family including his uncle to races. We spoke about him joining BMX JETT with South African Tyler Klumper, and about his future plans with racing. 

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Dion Newth is from New Zealand. It's roughly two weeks out from the worlds in Glasgow, Scotland and I reached out to Newth who races in the 50 -plus class in cruiser. I was curious how things went for him. He ended up 5th which is a bit of a disappointment for him. 

Newth began racing when he was 10 years old. He raced until he was 30 years old and then walked away from the sport. And within that time he says for 10 he simply rode a mountain bike and enjoyed life. He even moved to Australia for a bit. But in 2015 he got the bug again to race BMX. Since then he's won 8 national titles, 3 Oceania titles, and a world title. 

Dion says there was a point where he dealt with some mental health issues and he credits BMX for giving hime some focus. 

Not retaining his title Newth says it has lit a fire in his belly to come back in 2024 and win it all over again.  

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It's almost two weeks out from the Worlds in Glasgow, Scotland and I got a chance to sit down and speak with Colombian Carlos Ramirez. If you don't know he ended up with 4th overall. 

Ramirez says he had to work his way through the LCQ or last chance qualifier to move on. He says the track didn't fit his skill set. Ramirez says the track isn't his favorite. 

Ramirez says he hasn't produced the results he's been looking for in the World Cups and at the World Champs this season. He says he's made mains but that's not enough. 

The rest of Ramirez's season is filled with racing He's got World Cups, races on the U.S. circuit, races in Colombia and finally Grands. 

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Ruben Gommers in my opinion is the best elite racer from Belgium. Recently Worlds didn't go his way. A few technical mistakes and he was out in qualifying. But, I want you to know that his season till then was phenomenal. He's won four rounds of the Euro Cup. In fact I believe he's leading the year long series with a red plate. His next race is in Portugal. 

Gommers says he was a kid growing up who was always on his bike. It was his mom who got him into BMX by taking him to a local track. He says he got good pretty quick. How about this stat, Gommers has been Belgian national champion a staggering ten times in his career. 

This season he's been dealing with a bad knee. It's an injury that stopped his chances of defending his national title this year. He told me next year he's looking to get his sleeve back.

This interview took place a day before Gommers left for Portugal. 

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Cory Franzwa is one of the nicest guys I've met while putting out this podcast. His happiness and kindness is infectious. I really enjoyed talking to him and getting to know him as a person. Franzwa is a a fellow Minnesotan who I know I've crossed paths with while living back home. 

At the moment Franzwa is leading the 26-35 expert class in points. Now, if you know anything about the class you know it's extremely competitive. He has to race guys like Alec Bob, Tyler Smith to Austin McKan. They are all racers I've had the pleasure to interview.

At the moment Franzwa is living in Utah and racing for Northwest BMX. Before he put down roots he was living in Maryland and racing for Lethal Threat Racing. I want to send a special shout out to Dwaylon Carter for helping get this interview. 

In this episode Franzwa and I talk about his racing roots, the Minnesota State Series and the hard work he puts in to be a bad ass on the bike.  

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AT 36 years old the Wetumpka, Alabama native is enjoying life. He's got a wonderful wife and child, he's racing Vet-Pro, and he rides for truly one of the top bike company in the world, "Chase."  

Barry started riding a bike at 3 years old. His parents got on the track and he loved it. In fact his mom and dad took over the local track. By the time he was sixteen he was a world champion. 

He eventually turned pro and in 2008 he won the Florida pro title. 2010 he won the ABA pro cruiser title and 2012 Barry made it to the final four of Olympic Trials. 

Barry began to dabble in freestyle and MTB. 2013 saw him win dual slalom national champs. He's won multiple crank works medals, and a silver medal at BMX national champs. 

In 2016 he got second to Corben Sharrah in the Olympic Trials. The next year saw him hi the Harley flat track racing and a desert race, the "Mint 400." 

Barry has participated in the XGames in two different sports. 

Now, he's racing Vet-Pro with a number on tittle from 2022 and looking to repeat in 2023.   But before he can do that he's the World Champs in Glasgow, Scotland.