Do or Die - Mind over matter.

One day I woke up in sunny Riverside "909" California, full of energy and determination to put my skates on (Rollerblades) and do this mega scary, steep, crazy 32 down rail that I had been observing over a few weeks at Riverside high school. My mind was going in and out, I saw this handrail everyday for 3 weeks and questioning myself, if it was possible for me to grind this rail? What will happen if I get capped? Am I prepared to accept the challenge? Yet I was over thinking everything.

At the end of summer 2005, the west coast skating tour had just finished and it was a lifetime experience for me and my friends to represent our sponsors for skating and tour in the Untied States that year. Sun was shining everyday, blues skies, surfing famous beaches, Skating the skateparks in the valleys and wild nights. I met one of my best mate during that time, Eddie, at CampWoodward West. A training felicity for

professional athletics from all around the globe come to teach young athletics and train for the next Olympics as well as the X-Games.

As I am at the top of the staircase, looking down, thinking about what type of grind am I going to do on the rail, then having second thoughts of not grinding it as I come to the realisation, at the end of the rail, there is kink at the end of it and it turns around 90 degree angle, which is very very dangerous as my feet can hit that and face first on the sidewalk or can lead to a unhappy ending, especially I will be going down very fast with no time to think. I will have to jump off the rail just before I hit that kink.

Eddie and another mate, Roberto started setting up the cameras and gear for the photoshoot, I started to feel more pressured and more nervous, I didn't want to die that day or end up in hospital with brain damage.

"You got this, homie" Eddie says with enthusiasm

"I don't know man, the kink is giving me second thoughts" I reply

"Yo, your not leaving the country until you a least try to grind it, you got this dawg" he insisted.

Shoes come off, the skates lock on to my feet, the adrenaline kicks in, my legs become bit wobbly, rolling backwards and forwards, over and over, talking to myself, abusing myself, yelling out words to the empty air, "Stop being a little bitch Brett, your in America for skating, stop being a chicken" I'm saying all kinds of things, trying to build my confidence and psyche myself up. What made it worst, is that people on the street and a few other skaters nearby decided to stop what they were doing and watch me try and shred this monster. At that point, I really had no choice to try but a least temp to get on the rail.

I calmly said "Fuck this" skated towards the rail and jumped on locked it with Topsoul grind naturally, totally freaking out and it was so fast that I bailed off and fell from half way then I hear kids across the street cheering. I take a moment, my hands are shaking as my heart is pumping heavier then I charged up the stairs. I call out to the photographers to be sure they were ready. I try again, only this time my right foot miss the rail, the rail is in-between my legs and lucky I did not land on my nuts. Looking at the reaction of the crowd, knowing they are saying "thats gotta hurt". I see a girl laughing as my mates check to see if I am ok. I take few minutes.

"Alright this is it, do or die" aggressively I said, again rolling up, jump on, lock it and down fast I go, my body wants to bail out and started to lean towards the bush beside the rail but my mind is so determined, holding my feet as much as I could then as soon as the 3rd last step becomes closer, I leap off towards the right and land on the sidewalk pavement rolling away, everyone on the street screaming and cheering and my mates running towards me full of joy. High fives all around, I was shocked and laughing, smiling and so juiced to try another different grind, rewatching the footage on camera. Absolutely overwhelmed.

One thing, I have to say about aggressive sports, that it truly teaches an individual, that he or she can land a trick or do a crazy stunt, the real challenge is the thought of 'mind over matter' and it may take a few attempts to get it right. All you really have to do, is commit and believe that you can land that stunt.It can also teach you how to deal with certain factors in life that is stopping you from trying. I could have had a bad fall, maybe I was lucky, but I knew once I got on, I was going to go all the way regardless. I will always remember that I grinded a crazy handrail in Cali and I can use that experience, that motive, to get though tough situations in life, its mind over matter and keep trying.

#Sport #USA