250MX AMA PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPION ADAM CIANCIARULO
P148
Interview
all have stuff that we have to go
through in our lives, and I think
people rally behind that. Not just
in motocross, but in other sports
and in life, as well.
"I can say from a personal per-
spective that the 250cc outdoor
championship would have meant
far, far less had I not had to go
through what it took to get there.
I'm stoked just to even still be in
the sport. Let's put it that way.
And to accomplish that on top of
what I feel already, and just feel-
ing that gratitude to still be a part
of it, you can imagine how good
it felt to win the 250 title. It was
definitely one of the proudest
moments of my life, for sure. I've
been through a lot of adversity,
and we all know that.
"After we won the champion-
ship, a number of my friends, in-
dustry members, and even fans
asked me what it felt like to cross
the finish line when I clinched
the title. You know, that's a tough
question to answer. I think when
I was going through a lot of the
stuff I went through, even when
I was at rock bottom, I would
always just imagine what it would
be like to win a championship
and how it would feel to go over
the line. I would just imagine
that over and over again in my
head. I put it so high in my mind
that when I actually did cross the
finish line at the Ironman, I was
almost numb to it; I was almost
unsure of how to feel; it was so
much relief and elation."
IN RETROSPECT
"Looking back on it all now, I
think you have to be careful, for
sure, with how much of your own
self-worth that you put into the re-
sults. It's how we are brought up,
you know? We kind of live and die
with how we do on the weekend.
Yes, it's challenging, and it can be
tough, but it's also what makes it
so rewarding when it works out
in your favor. That's why we train
every day and why we do what
we do to the extent that we do it.
We do it for that rewarding feeling.
You can't have that feeling without
some risk. Obviously, it is love/
hate when you're not getting the
results, but you're always striving
for more and always reaching for
the next thing."
Cianciarulo's nemesis all
year was Frenchman Dylan
Ferrandis, who edged him
out of the 250SX West
Supercross Championship.
