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2020 AMA 450MX PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPION: ZACH OSBORNE P86 Interview looking for that, but there's also always something that's right. So, for me that's the main thing, just staying grateful and staying vigilant in the goals that we have set within the family and within myself. As far as changing, I don't really see any reason to change. I would like to think I'm a pretty humble guy. I just try to stay grounded. Everybody puts their pants on the same way every day. We just have to be the best person we can be. "I think that my grit is my big- gest strength as a racer, really. I have sort of an innate ability to suffer and to just go as far as I can go. I think that is kind of why, on days like what we had at WW where it's just really hot and it's really uncomfortable, [I accel]. Also, that's kind of how we train, is in the really hot, uncomfort- able, crappy situations. So, for me, when the going gets tough or whatever you want to say, that's when I get going and that's when I kind of feel the most at home. That's probably mostly because that's how I train." WHAT EGO? Osborne has never seemed to have an ego and has always been willing to put himself in situations that other top riders might shy away from. Like racing a GNCC (which he did this year when the SX series was put on hold) or the ISDE (Osborne rode the ISDE in Sardinia a few years ago on a Geico Honda). Most top riders might be afraid of get- ting beat or looking bad, even though they might be riding an unfamiliar type of racing. "I don't really have an ego," said Osborne. "I got 30th at the GNCC that I did this year, and that was pretty straight up. I just got smoked. It is what it is. It took some learning. I'm sure I learned something about my motorcycle that day and I enjoyed the experi- ence with the GNCC people and with my wife and the team there. It was just a good weekend. It's an opportunity to race my dirt bike as a professional and get paid to do something that I love. It always kind of goes back to that, if you find something you love, you'll never work a day in your life. That's kind of where I'm at." ACCEPTING CHANGES Not only hardships on the track have put Osborne's back against the wall, but there was even a disruptive change in team managers in the middle of the year when longtime team manager Bobby Hewitt stepped down and was replaced by Ste- phen Westfall. "Obviously, it wasn't ideal," said Osborne. "Bobby kind of put us all in the positions that we're in, including 'Scuba' who's the new team manager. It was tough to see him go. He was a really influential person in my life and also in the team and around the team. So, it was tough. It's one of those deals where you kind of have to pick up the pieces and move on ASAP. So, it sucked, but at the same time we had to move on, we had to move forward." At 31, Osborne is the oldest among the top pro riders. He has a family, as well, which many might see as a possible distraction. Those few races when things weren't going his way, Osborne never gave up and always found a way to right the boat, often times with a win.