Will Martens
Staff Writer
Junior Shayne Ward has been dirt bike riding since she was about seven years old and has loved it ever since. She also broadened her athletics to wake boarding two years ago.
Due to her busy schedule, she practices both sports whenever she has the rare opportunity.
“I wakeboard over the summer about 1-2 weekends a month and dirt bike in the fall and wintertime about one weekend a month,” Ward said.
Ward was introduced to wakeboarding by some of her friends. Already being a dirt biker, she thought it would be a great athletic opportunity to experiment with.
“I had some friends tell me about it and I found an old wake board in our garage, so I tried it out,” Ward said. “When I started, I felt really proud of myself for getting up and then I just felt really exited. What I really like about wakeboarding is when I learn something new and I’m able to land it because that’s one more thing I can do next time.”
The feeling of freedom grasps Ward when she wakeboards and she enjoys the exhilarating sensation that it has to offer.
“I like wakeboarding because I feel like it’s one of the only things you can do behind a boat that has a lot of freedom that goes with it,” Ward said. “There are so many different things to learn and do. Wakeboarding is the activity that makes me the happiest, while I love dirt bike riding because it’s very peaceful and exiting simultaneously.”
When Ward first tried dirt biking at a very young age, she was quite afraid, but with the help and instruction of her family, she began to enjoy it. Eventually it became a hobby for her and she has enjoyed it for years.
“I got my first bike for Christmas [and] the first time I rode [it] I was scared out of my mind,” Ward said. “My family encouraged me to keep trying so overtime it stopped being scary for me.”
Ward dirt bikes in the fall and winter in Parker Arizona. She loves the isolation factor of the sport. Being completely independent on a bike in the middle of the desert brings her a calmness that she can’t obtain anywhere else.
“I love being able to explore the desert and how when you’re riding, you’re somewhat on your own which is really relaxing,” said Ward. “My favorite thing about dirt bike riding is the feeling of the wind when you’re going really fast.”
In the future, Ward looks forward to dirt bike riding and wakeboarding to the very best of her ability. Ward wants to dirt bike for the rest of her life so one day she might become good enough to possibly ride in college
“With dirt bike riding, I want to be able to perfect my abilities on different terrain like soft sand or loose gravel,” Ward said. “I [also] want to one day be able to switch the side that I ride on when I wakeboard, so instead of having my left foot in front, having my right foot in front. I really love the adrenaline rush that I get from both of these sports and I really like that they utilize different athletic abilities.”
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