As we welcome in a brand new year and the changes that come with it, one thing that will remain the same is the continuing support from DeCal Works as they not only sponsor this Monday Gate Drop each and every week, but they also sponsor teams like the MX101 Yamaha Team. DeCal Works is a proud supporter of Canadian motocross, so if you’re in need of a brand new set of custom graphics then all you have to do is visit www.decalmx.com and within minutes you can design and order your very own set.
Welcome to 2016 and everything awesome that a brand new year brings. For most people, ringing in a new year doesn’t just mean that they hang a fresh calendar on the wall, it’s a chance to start fresh, face new challenges, and in some cases, hit the reset button on our internal clocks. Whenever January 1 rolls around, we always hear stories about people suddenly joining a gym or putting in motion some other New Year’s resolution. Of course, even with a new sense of optimism in the air, there’s always the cynical people that wonder why we can’t just maintain these good habits all year round.
However, I feel like we need these breaks that enable us to hit the reset button. As human beings, I believe we’re programed to take the occasional pause to assess our weaknesses and then figure out what we need to try to fix things. For instance, how many times have you been watching a hockey game and one team ends up dominating a period? For that period, it appears like that team just can’t lose. Then, after a brief intermission, the other team comes out with a new sense of vigor and turns the table. All of a sudden it’s like a brand new game and it’s the other team’s turn to dominate. All it took was an intermission to pause, regroup and then get back in the competition. This is one of the things that makes motocross so tough, because once your moto begins there are no breaks. A successful rider needs to learn how to make adjustments during the race. As I said, this is easy to do when you’re sitting in a dressing room, but very hard to do when you’re in the middle of a race. My point is that January 1st allows us to reset, recharge and then reengage in our lives; this hopefully will make us better as the New Year unfolds. So now is the time to get out there and make some changes. Maybe you want try to eat healthier, maybe you want to be a better rider, or maybe you just want to smile more. Whatever it is, now is the perfect time to put those wheels in motion.
Unfortunately, this time of year sometimes brings some sad news within our tight knit motocross family. I will begin with some of the most tragic news that I personally have ever heard. This past weekend in Nova Scotia, Jason Burbine (Father of mini sensation Damon Burbine) passed away in the most unimaginable terms. Jason was one of the most popular figures on the East Coast and he surely will be missed by everyone. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Burbine Family during this trying time. Damon’s mom, Stacey Gilroy, sent me this message regarding this terrible situation. “Jason was an amazing guy and an unbelievable Dad. He will be missed in so many ways by everyone. He will always be in our hearts and right now I’m not sure how we will be able to go on without him.” Stacey also mentioned that one of things that is helping her through this awful time is the support she’s received from everyone in the motocross community. Please say a prayer for the beloved East Coast family. We wish them all the best!
In other sad news, we learned on Friday that young Ontario rider Liam Parsons has now started his second battle with Leukemia. All of us in Ontario know and love this kid. His smile, personality and love for the sport of motocross is unmatched. Again, we want to wish him and his family all the best as they prepare for this fight. To find out a little more on Liam’s situation, here is a letter from Rex Bachman with information on how we can all help Liam as he battles through this terrible illness.
“Liam Parsons is a motocross champion. You have probably have never heard his name before. There are no RacerX or Cycle News headlines on Liam. No Loretta Lynn championships nor Jeff Emig or Ralph Sheheen Monster Energy Supercross Saturday night Fox Sports 1 television interviews either.
He is a teacher and a motocross rider. He is 12 years old. Now, he and his family need our thoughts and help as Liam’s leukemia is back.
As a volunteer for MX for Children I have seen many touching moments of the Champions of our sport exhibiting true role model behavior to severely ill children in need. Roger DeCoster, Ricky Carmichael, Chad Reed, Trey Canard, and the JGR MX team come to mind as examples.
Our Motocross & Supercross champions have brought smiles and laughter to sick children in the most serious of situations. For example, I will never forget Ricky & Chad touring the Oncology ICU ward of Seattle Children’s Hospital handing out MX & SX toys from a little red wagon that they pulled around.
Liam here is a peer to Roger, Ricky, Chad, Trey, and the Coy Gibbs JGR MX crew in his ability to give and help.
I first met Liam, and his Dad, Glen, about 5 years ago at the Toronto round of the Monster Energy Supercross series. Liam had qualified for our MX for Children Inside Line Experience (ILE) event. Having been a top ILE fund raiser – with all of his funds going to support the local hospital Sick Kids of Toronto – Liam was rewarded with ILE access to the event: Exclusive press day coverage; a track walk; multiple factory rig tours; and VIP seating.
All of our young fund raisers stand out as they showcase the best of our youth in their ability to recognize a needy cause and to help and to give back. Liam though stood out. He stood out in a very unique way. I learned he was fighting leukemia at the time and was receiving treatment for it at Sick Kids in Toronto.
His story gave me pause…I thought about it for a bit. Liam was raising funds for disease research at the same hospital and at the same time that he was being treated for his leukemia. I have always thought this was one of the powerful lessons learned in MX for Children volunteering. Liam was the Teacher just like Ricky and Chad were.
Now, five years forward to the present. He is 12 now and is still a loyal KTM racer. His favorite riders still are Ryan Dungey, Marvin Musquin, Josh Hill, and Ken Roczen. When possible, he races in his native Canada. But his leukemia has recently come back requiring him to spend the next 30 days or so at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto for intensive treatment.
Glen says Liam is a fighter! What else would one expect from a 12 year old motocross racer, right? So, please take a moment and send some positive vibes, prayers, and karma Liam’s way. A family friend has also set up a Go Fund Me site to support the family with unexpected expenses. If you would like to contribute that way, please visit it here: https://www.gofundme.com/cjhmsxzs
Sincerely,
Rex Backman
rex@mxforchildren.com
Thanks Rex! Folks, as you can tell by the sombre news above, regardless of how bad we think our day or life is going, it could always be worse. As I said, our thoughts and prayers are with the Burbine Family and the Parson Family as they begin to deal with these events. I’m going to say good-bye now and save my Anaheim 1 preview for tomorrow. I hope everyone has a good day. If you get the chance, hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight and make sure you tell them how much you love them, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.