For Ike McDermott, ‘16, there is no place in the world he’d rather be than on a dirt bike. “When I’m riding, I have no worries.I feel free, and I’m not thinking about anything but what’s ahead,” said McDermott.

McDermott has been riding dirt bikes since the age of 5, and remembers the very first time he rode one. “My dad basically put me on a bike and told me to follow him”, said McDermott.

Today, he competes professionally in motocross competitions in different states all over the country each weekend, and is very accomplished in the sport.

At a recent competition, McDermott was severely injured in a crash. He was left with two broken femurs, a broken pelvis, three broken ribs, and two fractured vertebrae.

Although recovery has been a big struggle for McDermott, he’s kept a positive attitude. “The rehab has been going wonderfully,” he explains.  “I’ve been getting better little by little each day, and I hope to get out of the wheelchair in a couple of weeks.”  

Determined to return to doing what he loves, McDermott plans to get back on his bike as soon as possible. It takes a brave person to take Knievel sized risks everyday.