Ricky Carmichael Essay

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They line up. The adrenaline is pumping, the gate drops and they are off. The crowd cheers for their favorites as they go around the first turn. Everyone is excited and nervous as they approach the first jump. Ricky Carmichael is a professional dirt bike racer and this is probably how he has felt a number of times as he began a race.
Childhood
Ricky Carmichael was born in Clearwater, Florida on November 27, 1979. His parents are Rick and Jeannie Carmichael and they encouraged his love of riding. He got his first dirt bike when he was 5 years old. It was a Yamaha Tri- Zinger as a Valentine ’s Day present. He didn’t always feel like he fit in at school so he spent a lot of time on his bike. It said in his biography, “When Ricky was 13, some people said he …show more content…

He had the record with 67 titles. He also won 9 Loretta Lynn National Championships. He was also a 3 time gold medalist for Moto X Step-up 2 XM. He was a short stocky kid and he realized that he had to work hard to become a better athlete. Ricky hired a trainer and worked on his upper body strength and he lost 20 pounds. His idols were Jeff Ward and Johnny O’Mara. He followed their example of good sportsmanship.
Turning Pro Ricky turned pro at age 17. In 1996, he joined the AMA as a professional racer. As a professional racer he has had a lot of success. He won Rookie of the Year in 1996 and never lost a title he defended. He never lost an MX championship from 1997-2006. One season he went 24-24 and won more than any other AMA racer in history. He is a fan favorite because of his determination to win and good sportsmanship. He was small, fast, and wanted to win. He watched other racers and tried to act the way they did to be a good sport. They call him the G.O.A.T which means the greatest of all time. “No one has ever been as consistent or won as many professional American championships as Ricky has in his career.”
Life After

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