Roots baby...

BMX OHIO MAGAZINE ---
My parent's contribution to the sport of BMX in Ohio.


What I remember most about this magazine is stapling these guys together in the basement of our home on Derby Rd (back in the early 80's). My parents seemed to have endless energy... always on a mission to tackle projects, and this one was no exception(hmmmm is that where i get it from!)!! My mom and dad, I have to say, were really the driving force behind getting our family into the world of the BMX culture. Sure my uncle bought the first BMX bike for my brother, and yes Todd (and my brother Brad were talented athletes), but the time and effort that my parents put into giving my brother's the opportunity to follow their dreams is absolutely priceless. Watching my dad get my brother's bikes ready, basically being the family mechanic and race coach, and watching my mom consistently get organized and packed, and all that they went through on a regular basis in (Mike Tamayo fashion) to pack and unpack that van weekend after weekend to get our family on the circuit ---well I just have to say....they are rockstars in my book. The bikes were like members of the family --kept right there in the dining room (and no we did not have a big house!). And can I just mention how much time my mom spent in the laundry room cleaning my brothers uniforms(!!). It all just blows my mind actually...thinking about what a full-time job it was for them to do all of that, on top of their regular jobs, and regular home and life stuff ----then they go and start a magazine to boot! Oh yes there's more too...my mom used to sit at the finish line and score at regional events (she was also the only mom in our uppity little suburb who rode a 20" bmx bike to work!), and my dad, being "mister personality" soon found his voice over the loud speaker at races and eventually was hired on to be a national race announcer who (in my mind and many others) was one of the most colorful announcers in the sport!

This was a family deal all the way around.

After having had the experiences that I have had racing road bikes, and having been on teams who have hired folks to do the job my parents did simply because of their love for their kids and for the love of the sport, well that right there is something that I reflect on often and that I can say I am very PROUD of (and yes I just said proud for my blogger friends who think i say "pro" and "proud" too much --now you have another hit for your word search).

Even though I wasn't as brave as my both of my brothers were on the race track..and I dropped out of racing pretty quick (took me almost twenty years to get back on the bike!), I was still a loyal sister and a devoted fan of my brothers--always getting right up front to watch their motos, semis, and main events. And yes...it used to scare me to death to watch Todd get crazy over jumps!
Truth is, I still wish I hadn't been such a little wimp about racing back then, but I wouldn't trade that track-side time for the world. Little did I know how much it would shape my future, and my love for the bike.....

But back to the magazine....I think my parents are the coolest people for recognizing and seeing the need to bring the efforts and accomplishments of the Ohio BMX folks to print in the 1980's. That was really hard work for them, and there was no great financial pay off, or gain to be made. They did it because they loved the sport and the people in it, and they believed in creating community. I'm a lucky girl to have role models like them.

No wonder I live and breathe bikes hey.

And yea yea yea the infamous Wildman is my brother (and my older brother Brad was a great freestyler that not too many people know about). I sure could tell you a ton of stories, but that will have to wait for another post! you could peep TL's site though, he tells his own wild stories! ;) www.toddlyons.com

Anyway back to my parents,
word to my Mom and Dad....love you guys!