Off the Cuff Jacqueline Ross

Off the Cuff with Jacqueline Ross – October 2024

Former Canadian WMX Champion Jacqueline Ross is back with the October edition of her motivational column called ‘Off the Cuff.‘

By Jacqueline Ross

Greetings, Humans,

One thing’s for sure, two things for certain. If you’re reading this you’re alive…Congratulations! You’ve made it to another day! Here’s the certainty…one day you won’t be and you have no idea when that day will arrive. If reading that sentence doesn’t spark some type of fire within, to get busy LIVING, I’m not sure what will! What brought these thoughts up, you may ask. An incredible human being, longtime friend, and fellow lover of two wheels…Ed Higgins! A man that, unfortunately, passed away a few weeks ago, doing what he loved.

I met Ed in the year 2000 when I was 12 years old. I was on my KX60 and was 6 months into my dirt biking journey. Ed basically watched my entire racing career. He was there in the beginning days at Orlando MX, when it would take me about 10 minutes to make a lap (I’m not joking, I used to fall in every corner) and then he was there in 2008, to congratulate me as I won the Women’s class GNCC race by 8 minutes. I’m not sure if Ed ever made it up to Canada to race, but I am certain he had the U.S. covered!

Ed raced AMA Amateur Nationals, GNCC’s, Daytona Vintage Supercross, FTR, The Florida Gold Cup Series, The Winter Am’s, Hard Enduros…if there was a race, Ed was showing up and showing out! As a matter of fact, in 2020 he won the +50 class at the Daytona Vintage Supercross. Also to add to his impressive racing resume he has won the Florida GNCC 5 times! The dude was a machine! Like a fine wine, he got better with age. It’s tough to type this and come to the realization that he is no longer with us. 

Ed would’ve celebrated his 60th birthday on November 13. He lived his life to the absolute fullest and impacted the lives of so many people. I’ll forever remember his encouragement, passion for two wheels, and his love for life! Godspeed, Ed.

Accepting things out of our control and being open to change is never easy. We fight to let go and we fight to hang on. As tough as the grieving process is to handle, we must press on.

I’ll leave you with this quote that my favorite employee at the local post office shared with me… “When all is said and done, will what I have said be more than I’ve done?”

Keep going…that person in heaven wouldn’t want you to quit.

Jacqueline