Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
Guest Flood – Melody Hodgson
It’s raining in Walton. It snowed two days ago. The start of our season seems as far away as it did in December, so it’s a little surreal to think we’ll be heading to Gopher Dunes on Sunday for the first AMO race of 2022. But Gopher, despite being a mere 90-minute drive from home, may as well be in a different country weather-wise, so we shouldn’t be surprised.
There’s a level of excitement to the first race of the season that is unmatched for the rest of the year. Gopher’s always been home base for race one; what other facility could welcome riders in April – and it’s not just the sand, it’s the crew behind the sand that makes it happen. It’s kinda like who else could have taken the reigns from CMRC and made AMO what it is today, but Ryan? But it’s not just Ryan; it’s his crew that lets us all go racing for twelve weekends a year, allows us to open our gates and welcome you into our facilities, and lets us all borrow his time whenever needed.
I’m talking about Amy, Ryan’s wife. In our industry, the female’s strength is often an undercurrent – intangible and mostly indiscernible if you’re not looking. But it’s there. It’s always there.
Amy lets us have the best of Ryan, week after week. It’s a choice to be supportive, and it’s not one everyone can make. I’m sure it’s not always easy, either. But AMO’s success, impact on our industry, and continued growth result from Amy’s choice to give Ryan every opportunity possible to execute his visions with passion 365 days a year. If you haven’t met Amy yet, you’re doing yourself a disservice. You will be hard-pressed to find a more loving, kind and generous mom, wife and friend in the pits. Hot? Have a freezie. Wet? Stand under the awning. Need a place to hide? Come on inside. Even on the most frustrating day, Amy puts Amy last.
Society has taught us that there is one incredibly singular way to measure success: it’s with titles, trophies and public accolades. But success to me is looking around and seeing yourself surrounded by people that love and support you and honour you for who you are. Amy allows us all to be successful. She honours us as we are. And she is supportive in every sense of the word. When the gates open at Gopher this weekend, I know I won’t be the only one thankful to share another season with Mrs. Gauldy by my side.
In honour of AMO’s opening weekend, let’s scroll through some pics of the first-ever AMO race at Gopher in 2015 and last year’s season opener.
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