Sam Gaynor - Life, Racing & Making That Tough Decision

I should have, you know, in 2019 I broke my foot and then I had to wear a boot two. bigger sizes just so I could stick my foot in it to run, you know, and you know, like I ran with broken Rick and people didn't even know I ran at times that people didn't even know. I got hurt, but you know, I didn't even want to say anything because you know there were a lot of big ones, you know, but you know, I've been hurt every year from 2012 to now, you know? I've broken a major bone every year from then until now, so it's like I'm saying I need to give my body a rest.

You know, I contacted all the right doctors, you know. I said I think I have a stupid amount of doctor's appointments, especially in three or two weeks, especially with this new tumor and things that we found, but yeah, you know, it's just investing in yourself again, you know? you invest in yourself to compete and you go south, you try hard, you know you want to be the best so you can play a sport, but you know a lot of these runners, you know they get injured, well I was one of them, but you know that you get hurt and you just go, oh, when the bones you're going to have just go right back to that, you know, and it's like sometimes you don't realize how big of an impact that has on you, you know?

Um, you know, I didn't even realize the impact that you know has on you mentally until this year, you know, when I wake up at two in the morning in a complete panic attack, I can barely breathe because you know that m I'm in full PTSD and a flashback nightmare, you know, they're things like that you don't even realize until they happen and they're, uh, and they're scary, you know, so they're a lot of things that I know I've talked a little bit about health. mental here and there on my social media, but you know as a man, first of all, talking about it is hard and then secondly, like I said in one of my posts, it's hard.

To do it in the sport of motocross, you know it's a very Alpha Dog sport that nobody wants to be weak in, but sometimes you have to be honest and you have to be honest with yourself, you have to be honest with the people around you, you know, and that's what happened for me, you know, I just had to go to the people around me and say, you know I'm really suffering and you know these are the things that I'm suffering from and you know and then you have to reach out for help you know you're not going to make a difference if you don't get help you know you can try to fight all the battles on your own as much as you can I want you to know that I was always one of those people that you know that's what I thought I had to happen, but realistically, you know, seeking help getting medication or talking to counselors or whatever, you know, that's what you know, that's what they know.

We're there for you, you know, and as much as I said, we're alpha dogs, we're in the sport and no one wants to be weak, I mean, sometimes you just have to, you know, if you want to stay. in sports, you know, maybe I should have reached out a year ago and maybe I wouldn't walk away, you know, I don't know who knows, but you know, like I said for now, that's the best for me, like me. I said I contacted the best doctors that are in the area and you know I'm just trying to do everything I can to get back to 100 and after that you know we're reflecting and seeing. what we have to do you know, I know next summer my parents are planning to buy a boat, you know, I have a new nephew, he's super adorable, I love him so much, you know, so I'm just going to know, like I said.

I haven't had a single summer either, you know, since I was three. I've always ridden dirt bikes every weekend from April to September, you know, so I'm going to enjoy a summer, you know, spend some time with the new little one, um, spend some time on the boat and see what a normal

life

is like as I try to, you know, heal and, like I said, reflect, you know, who knows, maybe a year from now I might be like damn. I really need to be on the bike and that's where I belong, you know, maybe a year from now I might be like, you know, that's the best

decision

you've ever made and you know, just stay away from it forever, you know.

You never know so right now like I said my plan is set in stone for 2023 and then you know we'll reflect when the time comes next year exactly like I said you're

making

the right

decision

man you're still young. go out and enjoy your

life

man take the time you need to be able to recover and enjoy your life and then make those decisions later when you feel like you're ready you know what I mean so motocross is always I'll be there there regardless, you know it's not going anywhere, so there's a lot of things that one of the things I don't like about sports is hiding injuries, you always have to put those injuries up and not let people know. what's really going on, but within your suffering, you know what I mean, you're suffering inside, so it's one of those things that I think if someone gets injured in sports, take them out, give them the time they need to heal and recover. prepare yourself again and just don't put them through any more pain because it may make situations a little bit worse, that's just my personal opinion, but yes, the team has to run a business, you still have to run, they still have a race.

They still have to do what they have to do on their part, but for those who are injured and for those who are going through certain things in the sport, I think when you need that time, allow that person to have that time when the time is right, yeah, yeah, and like, you know, this year was a perfect example of that, you know, I'm not, I'm not blaming anyone but myself, you know, I was the one who said we had to do it. go for a run I want to go for a run this year you know like I was the one you know it wasn't Steve Steve said you can take the time you need you know and um you know I had called another driver and stuff and my dad was like You don't have to, you know, race this year, especially after my wrist injury, but I'll tell you, you know, I put pressure on myself to go compete this year, but you know two. weeks or not, sorry, not two weeks, four days before the last Walden over there where I won the championship, you know, my doctor called me and said hello, so you know you're not riding a motorcycle. 2022 um and I was like oh yeah and he was like yeah you know your wrist wasn't

making

much progress and it's a pretty serious injury so I just want you to know that it's still broken and you know you're not going to ride a motorcycle. in 2022 and then four days later I went out and won a Canadian national championship.

They've known me for 25 years so obviously I didn't tell my doctor about it but sometimes like I said it's the love of the sport and some riders pushing them through it and then sometimes like you said it's the team aspect, but you know there's also a lot of time, so you know it's an injury that we as writers feel. you can get over it, but realistically when you know there's always a saying, but you know realistically, when we're 40, you know we're going to feel it, so you know it's, like I said right now for me, it's that I have, uh , no I mean, poor thing, shame on me, but I've got a lot going on health-wise and it's just up to me to get to 100, you know, that's what I have to do and like I said, I don't want to. a I don't want you to know example I don't want Steve or my parents or whoever to participate in my program.

I don't want them to invest all that money all that time in me and then only get 50 to 70 percent of a return, you know if they're going to want to give them my 100, then, you know, I feel like that's fair and you know, I want others people have the opportunity to do it, you know, I know that there are a lot of promising riders who are, you know, they are fast, but you know there are a limited number of positions in the teams, so I don't want to waste or take up space, and that's it. You know, I don't invest 100.

I would prefer someone that you know can really deliver 100, you know he's got it, so you know, like I said a couple of times, it's a

tough

decision to walk away, but you know, for me right now, in the shoes that I'm in, it's definitely the right decision and you know I'm very grateful for Steve Sims and you know Mary Sims and Andrew White. You know everyone involved in the Truly Designs gas team. You know I wouldn't be here without them. You know Steve Simpson day. one, he started helping me in, you know, 17, selling me a little bit some team plastics and tires, you know, amateur and you know, that's how I got involved with C Sims and then you know he took me under his wing in uh 28. 18 2019 and then yeah, 2019 was the biggest, you know, that was when he took me to his wedding with Andre Lauren on Team Rockstar and that's how it really came to light and then, you know, I said I wouldn't be here. without them you know there are people as far back as him and Hayden helping me in Moto Park and you know there are so many people in my path that I appreciate and you know I wouldn't be where I am in the sport without them, you know, you know, it even goes back to Courtney Lloyd and stuff like that with Team Canada, like I said, there's a list.

I could probably sit here for an hour and thank the people you know, but it's, I appreciate everyone. The sport, like I said, is an incredible sport. I've met so many great people from so many places that, you know, I feel like I never would have met them without the sport and I really appreciate it, but you know, if you know it. Runners who are watching this interview or not even professional runners, you know I want you to know now that you know it's okay to talk, it's okay to talk if you know if you're hurt, just say it, you know if you stop and I know sometimes I felt like the People would think I'm weak with the amount of injuries I have, you know, I like it.

I said I've been hurt every year for the last 10 years and a lot of things, you know, but you know, realistically, you just have to talk about it, you know there's not much you can do other than talk about it, be honest. , be upfront and just say that you know how things are, you know and then when it comes to the mental. side of it, be honest, you know, even though it's an alpha dog sport, you're not going to walk around the track saying hey, I suffer from this, hey, I suffer from this, but you know you can do it on your personal side.

Go reach for it. communicate with doctors communicate with people communicate with the people closest to you, you know, someone like Tiana ward has this amazing Foundation journey with me and all that, like reaching out to those foundations and, you know, using the use of the people around you you know it's uh that the only thing I wish I could reflect on and it's not that I didn't know it but now where I am you know I just want to put it out there you know if you suffer you know if you do what you know, it's not the easiest sport, like I said, it's very Alpha Dog and there are times when you know you don't want to show your weaknesses, but your life forever is much more important than the sport right now, obviously, yes.

We want you to know how to win and play the sport that we're involved in right now, but you know all I can say is that yes, motocross is there forever and you know it's realistic after you're 30 or 35 years old, to unless you have a strange nature. like Tyler Medallion you know it's faster than you think and you know you have a long life ahead of you so make sure you're healthy to spend your life with you you know your family your friends things like that you know your health Ha you have to be number one, oh yeah, very important statement, man, your health will definitely be here because once the

racing

doors close, you have certain people in your corner, but your family will always be there, so who spends the rest of that time with that family man and you want to be as healthy as possible and you want to be here as long as you can so you can spend that time with them um, Sam, this is, this is a What a great interview, man, and like I said, it opened my eyes to know that I didn't know what was going on.

I appreciate that even just coming on the show can spread that information into all aspects of your mind. things that are happening in your life, the skin situations, you're moving away from sports, everything, man, it was like these questions I have for you were basically modal questions, but when we took that hard left man, I just threw all these questions out of the way, man, and I just wanted to hear your side of the story, which I felt was more important for me to hear you than to ask my questions properly, um, but I want to thank you, man, I want to thank you.

Thank you so much for coming on the show and being able to broadcast it, yeah, I appreciate it and as you know, when you asked me to come on the show, I didn't really know what to say at first, you know, like I said. I haven't told anyone any of this information, you know, so at first, you know, I had to call my dad and ask him what he thought. You know, I had to call a couple of sponsors that I hadn't fully told yet and let them know, but you know it's like I said at the beginning when you.

I asked Honestly I didn't know if I was going to do it for sure um just because you know I just didn't know um but you know I've realized you know it's uh it's good to talk about it's good to put Be humble, be kind, you know, I could hide it. as long as I wanted and you know it could be February March next year and people could say: II wonder where San Diego signed or I wonder what Sam Gainer is doing. but you know, I feel like it's better to be honest and help people. You know that there is true suffering and people who don't talk about it.

I probably don't want to give a number, but I feel like a good portion of the gate on a professional national team probably suffers from some kind of mental problem and, you know, I feel like they suffer from physical health too, but they just don't talk about it, so which, you know, I guess I'm one of the only ones who really puts in the effort and like I said, I need to feel 100% honored first and I appreciate you reaching out to ask me for an interview. I've been very quiet since then. The season ended. I didn't really know what to say or what to do.

You know, I don't want to fool anyone. So I've been posting about my daily life since the season ended. I'm done, you know, I've been kind of a tourist. I went to Thunder Bay for a week. I went to Las Vegas for a week. In fact, I'm in Ottawa right now for a concert. Know? So, I was just doing something like that. uh, life stuff, if you want to call it that, you know, so, um, you know it's, it's been quite a different change and you know I have no idea what the future holds, like I said, uh, all of this that just ended.

In the last two weeks, it's been scary and I don't really know how to take it, but you know, I know the whole motocross community is behind me and I appreciate everyone who has always been by my side. You know, and I can. No, you know, you just know, all I can say is thank you, you know, can I thank you for inviting me to this interview, once again, thank you Steve Sims, Mary Sims, Andrew White, the entire Truly Designs team. you know Cody Swansboro Max Truck Max Lee, um, you know all those guys, uh, gas, gas and all the people there, Sebastian Law, and you know, there's a lot of good people there that you know were after me no matter what. pass this year.

They came to me asking me what I needed for the next year and stuff like that, um, and I had to be honest with them, but you know, I can't appreciate those people or I can't thank them enough and then you know. everyone, just the team sponsors, you know, we had motul Oakley Alpine Stars, throttle, Syndicate train, custom woodworking, Devon train, Devon train, uh, Arbonne, uh, products, uh, man, Ida, I don't even know, I'm getting a little emotional, you know, it just sucks, you know, I have to do this, but you know, I appreciate like I said, there's uh, you know so many people that you know, I can never thank everyone enough.

I just want everyone to know, obviously, and I can. Don't forget my mom, my dad, you know, they've been there for me from day one, they've been there for me through the ups and downs, they've seen the injuries, they've seen the honest truth of it all. um and they've known what I've fought for and they've always footed the bill or whatever you want to call it, you know they've always been there um and you know my sister um she always you know, she comes to a race every year, she's always a good support system, I always reach out to her, you know, when I have questions about life, um, she's always been there, her husband Corey, uh, you know, and then I got my grandmother's, um and then my uh you know my aunts my uncles um and everyone behind me like I said you know and cousins ​​and everything you know I could uh like I said I could talk for an hour and thank everyone and uh I would like I said I could I'll be here forever, but I appreciate everyone, you know, and I don't forget my girlfriend either, she's been there and she and her family, they've been a great support system, especially, I mean, all the time, but especially these last two weeks.

You know, they've been coming to the hospital. She came and sat with me in the hospital for almost nine hours the other day. You know, like I said, there's obviously a long list of Motocross sponsors, but also people who aren't involved in Motocross. but you know, other than that, you know, I appreciate it all, um, uh, like I said, honestly, I don't know how I can thank everyone enough, other than you know, just be honest with everyone and you know, say thank you, uh, you already know. I'm sure there are a lot of questions that people have and that people will still have after this interview without understanding why, but I feel like until you're in my shoes or until you're in similar shoes to mine, uh, you.

We're not really going to fully understand the whole situation and all I can do right now, like I said, is just be honest, and like I said, I still want to be involved in the sport. I still want to go to the Motor Park Cups. I still want to go to some of Amo's races. I still want to be a national pro next year just for fun. You know, just me and my dad like old times. You already know. But you know, like I said. I appreciate everyone and I just wanted to come. here, be honest and I thank you for letting me come here and you know, tell the story of my life.

You know, I didn't even tell you before this interview any of this information, so this is all new to you too. You know I'm sure the questions, but you know, those like the ones you said went out the window, um, but you know all I can do, like I said, is be honest and, uh, yeah, well, you did. everything, man, and I think you're doing everything. right, man, I just want you to go out and have fun, man, just enjoy, it could make you go up a hill, you know, once you start putting a smile on your face, you're surrounded by other people, even even outside, even off the bike.

Community where you can just be you, you know what I mean, like you've been through this, like you said, you've been through this, this started in Motocross since you were a kid and pretty much up to this point and you're barely going back now, but take as long as you need, like I said, motocross will always be here my friend, even if you don't get into the sport, even if I just see you on the track, it will be a pleasure. I just see your presence on the court and I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels this way because you gave so much to the sport to the community and you gave back like it was all love.

You know everyone. He should have his arms open to you regardless, even the man who hates you. Just by listening to this story you know it's an uplifting story and it makes you realize where you are in life by listening to yourself, so it's a very encouraging interview. It was a very emotional interview and I just want to thank you for all the time you've given to MX on the blacklist and I don't know how I can thank you, but thanks Sam, yeah, thanks. I really appreciate it any time, man, any time, and even besides the interviewer, I'm really a cool guy outside of the interviewer and I have a heart, so if you just want to pick up the phone and hang up. cameras off Microsoft I'm here I'm here I really appreciate it so much yes anytime Sam any time and you're welcome anytime if you want to air something if you don't if you just want to talk and just talk Moto if you want to talk about your life buddy, whatever the case may be, I have your back, yeah, I appreciate that and you know the last thing I can say before the interview ends is you know if you're a runner and you look at this and and you know, maybe you feel the same or you feel like you're suffering or whatever you know, yeah, you can reach out to the doctors or you know, but I mean, everyone can reach out to me, you know, I have Instagram DMS and I'm always, I'm always looking at it, um and uh, like I said, if you have questions, if you have anything, don't be afraid to reach out to me too, you know, I'm a great ambassador, you know?

I think mental health should be talked about, it's definitely something that should be available, you know, obviously, like I said, there's a lot more to it than just mental health, but you know, in that aspect, you just know that everything is going to be okay and uh, you know anyone can always reach out to me you know I appreciate everyone who helped me in the sport and you just know I want to give back to them at the same time so I really appreciate everyone and I appreciate you thank you. Sam, thanks Sam, well I don't want to take up too much of your time.

You probably have a doctor's appointment or something, you did this interview early so I know you probably have something to do for the day. You're out and about what you had at that gig, that's what you were going through, but have fun at that gig, man, have a good time, put a smile on your face, buddy and leave your ass behind, enjoy, enjoy those moments. Now bro, cool, thanks a lot, no problem Sam, we'll be in touch with you, that's cool, have a good day man, have a good weekend, you too, thanks.