Dan Atherton

How does FOX contribute to your success?
The major contribution from FOX is the support, they are committed to the race circuit and their support at every race is priceless. However it does not stop there, throughout the winter we train in Northern California and stay close to FOX, the partnership continues through the winter where we test and work closely with the team to be fully prepared for the upcoming season.

Tell us about your bike/vehicle setup.
Throughout the course of a race weekend I have to change bikes a lot so I try and run a similar feel throughout, my bars are all the same width, lever angles are the same, on my downhill bike I run the suspension quite hard, I also run my rebound quite slow. On the 4X bike I have the fork really stiff, something I used to do with purely air, but now from working closely with the FOX technicians they have managed to stiffen the fork with shims so I have more adjust ability throughout.

What else is in your garage?
Motocross bikes, BMX bikes, quad, mini bikes, floodlights for the backyard track, gate start and two mechanics.

What's your training regimen?
I work closely with the Olympic BMX coach here in England on a mainly strength orientated program, couple this with a massive amount of skills sessions and it's a program that suits me well.

Any major injuries, and how did you recover?
Early on in my career I had a lot of injuries, there was a season where I broke my elbow then my pelvis and then my knee cap. It was a super tough time for me but it definitely made me stronger and I realized how I needed to approach my riding.

What's your typical pre-race/event meal? Guilty pleasure?
I do not have any specific meal, however last year before the World Cup Final I had a pre-race kebab.

How do you determine which races or events to enter each year?
Dan Brown, our manager, has final say. But it is always a full season of World Cups and then some good fun events.

What motivated you to get started professionally?
From spending years riding dirt jumps and local trails, I wanted to prove to myself that I was the fastest rider in the world.

What separates you from other professional athletes?
Having a family around me who also races. It definitely keeps me down to earth, no matter what result any of us gets, one of us always tops it, so it keeps me very reserved.

What would you be doing if you weren't a professional athlete?
Driving a digger.

What's the best thing about being a professional athlete?
Everything comes down to you, the highs, the lows, the success, it is all down to you, you get back what you put in.

What other sports are you interested in?
Rally driving, 4x4, and enduro.

Any advice to the readers dreaming to turn pro?
It's not enough just to love what you are doing, there has to be another reason that keeps you pushing, another reason to go that extra inch.

What are your favorite magazines and websites?
I live in Wales, in the rain, so my favorite website is BBC Weather.

Favorite movie quote?
"Destiny or Circumstance."

Who is your hero?
Frodo Baggins

Are you a Mac or PC? Apple all the way

Top 3 bands Florence and the Machine, Pendulum, and Sub Focus

Greatest strength To never give up on anything.

Most frustrating challenge The flight from England to the USA.

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