Pro BMX rider Chad Kerley is racing his way to success and is clearly a rockstar in his field. His illustrious career took off in 2013 when he won his first X Games Gold in BMX street, making him the only rider ever to beat champ Garrett Reynolds in XG BMX Street. The two-time gold and a two-time
X-Games medalist, he has racked up endorsements with such companies as Rockstar Energy, Haro Bikes and Premium BMX. He appears on Forbes 2019 Top 30 Under 30 Sports list and continues to travel around the country making a name for himself on the biking circuit.
INTERVIEW BY CYNTHIA HORNER
Q: What is it like being a pro rider?
A: I started BMX bikes about eight years ago and I loved what I was doing so I started posting videos. I started worked my way into amateur and then professional competitions. I started getting sponsors from posting the videos. I just pushed myself and kept making videos. I took steps.
Q: Did you always have a plan to go to another level?
A: I always took it seriously. There was a track near my house and I that’s where I got into racing. I became super competitive and we started traveling out of state. We were doing tricks and doing difficult things that were freestyle. I also looked up to a lot of the pro BMX riders and knew it was something I wanted to do. At that point I started following the lead of others that were out there. I started hanging out meeting new people, so it was a hobby, but I wanted to do more with it.
Q: How would you describe the BMX community? Is there a lot of camaraderie?
A: Yes, there is.
Credit: Facebook/Chad Kerley
BREAKING VIDEOS TO WATCH
Q: Is it difficult to learning tricks?
A: It takes steps. There were tricks that I wanted to learn, but after I learned some tricks other tricks came sort of easily. Some tricks are more advanced, but after I learned some of them, I was able to help me break through.
Q: Do you have a gym routine?
A: I had lower back issues from riding and not doing course training exercises, so now I train at a place where a lot of pro athletes go. We do a lot of strength and conditioning and deep tissue work. It’s not a public gym; it’s more of a private place for coaching. It has helped me as an athlete to get to that next level. If I’m going to be in a competition, we start prepping for that kind of stuff. When my back is going through stuff it helps to have a physical therapist. And the deep tissue work with my coach helps me get the pain out of my system a lot faster instead of just sitting around waiting for the pain to go away.
Q: Are you on a strict diet?
A: I will cut out certain things if I am going to be in a competition so that I’m lighter and can do more tricks. I like eating as healthy as I can. I try not to eat fast food and greasy stuff and I try to stay on top of my diet.
Credit: Facebook/Chad Kerley
Q: Do you do much film and TV?
A: When I first got involved with freestyle thing, I was on a TV show that’s not on anymore, but it was a reality show, called “Camp Woodward” that I did when I was around 16. Then my agent got me a Nike commercial and I got a role in the XXX: Return Of Xander Cage. People still say they’ve seen me in that one.
Q: What else do you enjoy doing?
A: I love music and hip hop and a friend of mine has a studio. I like messing around with that stuff, too.
Q: What do fans like to ask you when they meet you?
A: They want to ask me about different tricks and sometimes they are super surprised that I might say that it took an hour to learn one. They see my videos and they don’t realize it may have taken a lot of tries to get the tricks.
INTERVIEW BY CYNTHIA HORNER
Q: What is it like being a pro rider?
A: I started BMX bikes about eight years ago and I loved what I was doing so I started posting videos. I started worked my way into amateur and then professional competitions. I started getting sponsors from posting the videos. I just pushed myself and kept making videos. I took steps.
Q: Did you always have a plan to go to another level?
A: I always took it seriously. There was a track near my house and I that’s where I got into racing. I became super competitive and we started traveling out of state. We were doing tricks and doing difficult things that were freestyle. I also looked up to a lot of the pro BMX riders and knew it was something I wanted to do. At that point I started following the lead of others that were out there. I started hanging out meeting new people, so it was a hobby, but I wanted to do more with it.
Q: How would you describe the BMX community? Is there a lot of camaraderie?
A: Yes, there is.
Credit: Facebook/Chad Kerley
BREAKING VIDEOS TO WATCH
Q: Is it difficult to learning tricks?
A: It takes steps. There were tricks that I wanted to learn, but after I learned some tricks other tricks came sort of easily. Some tricks are more advanced, but after I learned some of them, I was able to help me break through.
Q: Do you have a gym routine?
A: I had lower back issues from riding and not doing course training exercises, so now I train at a place where a lot of pro athletes go. We do a lot of strength and conditioning and deep tissue work. It’s not a public gym; it’s more of a private place for coaching. It has helped me as an athlete to get to that next level. If I’m going to be in a competition, we start prepping for that kind of stuff. When my back is going through stuff it helps to have a physical therapist. And the deep tissue work with my coach helps me get the pain out of my system a lot faster instead of just sitting around waiting for the pain to go away.
Q: Are you on a strict diet?
A: I will cut out certain things if I am going to be in a competition so that I’m lighter and can do more tricks. I like eating as healthy as I can. I try not to eat fast food and greasy stuff and I try to stay on top of my diet.
Credit: Facebook/Chad Kerley
Q: Do you do much film and TV?
A: When I first got involved with freestyle thing, I was on a TV show that’s not on anymore, but it was a reality show, called “Camp Woodward” that I did when I was around 16. Then my agent got me a Nike commercial and I got a role in the XXX: Return Of Xander Cage. People still say they’ve seen me in that one.
Q: What else do you enjoy doing?
A: I love music and hip hop and a friend of mine has a studio. I like messing around with that stuff, too.
Q: What do fans like to ask you when they meet you?
A: They want to ask me about different tricks and sometimes they are super surprised that I might say that it took an hour to learn one. They see my videos and they don’t realize it may have taken a lot of tries to get the tricks.