Rockwall seventh grader to compete in Motocross State Championship

(ROCKWALL, TX – Nov. 7, 2016) Williams Middle School student Ty Tennison, 13, will compete in the AMA Texas State Motocross Championship this weekend at the River Valley MX Finals in Boyd, TX.

Each year motocross riders in the great state of Texas have the opportunity to earn their place in history and be awarded and acknowledged as a Texas AMA District Champion. Each district has a six race series over three months and the top 16 riders in each class earn a place to compete in the AMA Texas Motocross Championship. Ty received a top placement in District 41 in two classes and will compete for the state championship.

Ty, a seventh grader, has dreamed of racing for as long as he can remember. He didn’t think it was a dream he would ever get the chance to fulfill due to a complicated medical condition that required him to not compete in any contact sports. After a lot of consulting and debating the decision was made to let Ty chase his dream. In May 2016 he began competitive racing. He is racing against other kids that have been racing since they were five years old. He hasn’t let any of that stop him; if anything it has made him work even harder to be able to compete with them. Ty races almost every weekend all over the state.. He has been in races in multiple states since May. He is racing a KTM 125cc.

Motocross racing is not as easy as it looks; it is definitely for the physically and mentally fit – meaning body mass, muscle tone and strength, along with a positive frame of mind need to be in tip-top shape. The ability to be flexible, versatile and move as quickly as a cat when it’s called for is also part of the “must have” package in order to handle everything thrown at you on the track. The body is its own “lean, mean machine” and must be super fit to endure the rigors of the track. This includes the strength and stamina to maneuver a 150+ pound piece of machinery with precision around the track using every muscle from head to toe.

Along with “getting ready” for motocross, riders also need the strength to handle “getting geared-up.” Simply try walking around wearing a helmet, boots, chest and back protection, a neck brace and gloves and you’ll wonder how it’s done on two wheels wearing what equates to a modern day “suit of armor.” Riding motocross takes concentration and lots of it. While whipping around the track at top speeds taking on the challenges, your mind is constantly shifting, just like your body, to meet the needs of the current or next move. Your mind is in “strategic think mode” all the time as you must plan for the current move while thinking about the next move down the track. It’s much the same as if you were playing in an intense game of high stakes chess where the wrong move means your competition will take home the prize. Doing all this while 20 other races are doing it and trying to avoid a crash.

Ty is sponsored by Dunlop Tires, Ryno Power, Mirror Hair Studios, Jeff Cox Photography, and Rockwall Drug & General Store.

Submitted story by Claudia Wright.

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