Q. How has the off-season been for you? What have you been up too? What has the training workload been like?
Obviously I‰Ûªm pretty young so as I get older I‰Ûªm learning more and more, I have been trying to take in as much as I can and permitting no injury at this point, I‰Ûªm getting stronger and stronger. I have just purchased a bicycle in the past few months and I been enjoying adding cycling to my off-season program, but my biggest change has been joining The Edge High Performance Centre, which has brought my body a long way, as this was a grey area in my training. I could go to the gym and do what my mates do, but that wasn‰Ûªt helping me become a better versatile athlete and I feel with The Edge High Performance Centre, it has brought me a long way this off-season. This is my strongest pre-season to date and I have full confidence going into round one and hope to grab the number one position at Gympie but we will have to wait and see.
Q. A change of class in 2018, into the E2 Class what brought on this move?
There are a few different reasons for the change, it wasn‰Ûªt a must, it was more of a give or take scenario and with a new rider joining the team it was the move to make. It would have been nice to go back to back on the 250, but it's hard to say as I can‰Ûªt read into the future but whether another year on the 250 may have held me back we will see. I‰Ûªm enjoying my testing on the 450, and it's showing that I have the pace to compete in the class. I think my style suits the 450 and once I‰Ûªm big enough for the bike I can then muscle it around a little bit more, but at this stage I‰Ûªm feeling quite comfortable and when I‰Ûªm in my grove I‰Ûªm feeling at one with the bike, and I feel there will be rounds we can take the win. The AORC has some seriously talented riders and we are all putting in serious effort to give Active8 Yamaha Yamalube Off-Road Team the best results.
Q. Season 2018, what are your goals for the season ahead?
Realistically a podium in E2 and I‰Ûªll be striving for the win, whether I have the experience for an E2 title, who knows only time will tell. I will also be aspiring to get back over for International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) and to make amends for what happened last season, but we clearly had the pace when we were up and running, so I want to see where I sit in the world scene.
