Out of the Blue | Becca Hughey | Brought to You by Schrader’s
Name: Becca Hughey
Date of Birth: July 15, 2002
Hometown: Anaheim Hills, California
Grade or Occupation: Student and Personal Trainer
Race Number: 74
Bike: 2024 KX250
Classes: Motocross: 250 Novice, Off-Road: Woman B
Who/what inspired you to get onto a dirt bike and how long have you been riding?
My dad raced motocross when he was younger and taught me how to ride when I was around six, but until I was around seventeen the extent of my riding was the occasional family desert trip, or track trips a couple of times a year.
My reason to start riding more often when I was seventeen (and continue riding) is fairly unique; I actually struggled with severe anorexia nervosa from ages 11-18 and was in and out of hospital and different treatment centres throughout those years. As an outlet, I started riding a couple times a week and traded my obsession with the bathroom scale for an obsession with improving my performance on a dirt bike.
Riding gave me a way to build a new life for myself outside of my eating disorder where I could challenge myself mentally and physically, spend quality time with friends and loved ones, try new things, and so, so much more.
Riding became my biggest motivation to fuel my body properly and continue in my recovery. If I didn’t ride dirt bikes, I guarantee I would still be either hopelessly bouncing between hospitals and treatment centres or I’d be dead.
I have now been riding dirt bikes consistently for 5 years and am grateful for every day that I get to swing my leg over a bike and do what I love!
When not on a dirt bike, how do you keep yourself busy? Are you involved in any other sports or extracurricular activities?
When I am not on a dirt bike, I am attending classes at Cal State Fullerton, working, or spending time with my boyfriend and family. I just earned my personal training certification through NASM and am looking forward to seeing where this new journey takes me. I also enjoy wrenching on my bike and doing home renovation projects when I can.
As a rider, are there any obstacles you feel a female racer has to deal with that maybe a male rider does not?
This could just be a personal problem and not apply so much to other ladies in moto, but I feel that a lot of people doubt my competence in the sport purely because I am a smaller female. For example, I’ve had people come up to me to highlight everything I’m doing wrong or tell me that “Girls shouldn’t ride dirt bikes.” This has hindered my riding and confidence more than I care to admit, but over time I’ve learned to deal with it and shrug it off. At the end of the day, I am passionate about this sport and I pay the same track entry fee as everyone else, so I am no less deserving to be there than the guy parked next to me in the pits.
Do you have any pre-moto rituals?
I always pray before I go out on the track. I thank God for blessing me to be able to ride and I ask him for safety. One of my favourite Bible verses says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11. This verse helps me to give my worries to God and to always trust in the amazing plan he has for me.
What are your plans for this upcoming season? Are there any specific events you’re looking forward to?
I am racing the NGPC series this year for the first time in Women’s B class. I have done a few random team off-road races and SRA’s but I have never dabbled with a whole series, so I am extremely excited to begin my off-road racing career!
What kind of track/dirt/terrain do you feel you excel at most and why?
I’m not too picky as far as the terrain goes and can adapt fairly well to a variety of different tracks, but I probably excel the most on hard-packed tracks, since that’s what I am more familiar with as a SoCal native. However, my favourite type of riding as of late is playing around on a good turn track after the rain or riding any track with a decent berm or rut that I can practice over and over.
If you could give 1 piece of advice to a female of any age who wants to start riding what would it be?
My one piece of advice for other females wanting to start riding would be to practice positive self-talk both on and off the bike. It sounds cheesy, but the last thing you want to be thinking of while going off a jump is “I can’t do this!” Oftentimes, as Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” Additionally, along with positive self-talk, make sure you also practice proper technique and throttle control and wear the right safety gear!
What was your first fear when you started riding and how did you overcome it?
My first fear when I started riding was that I wasn’t good enough. Even though I am a much more experienced rider now than back then, I have yet to completely overcome this fear. Something that has been helping me work through this fear is to focus on myself and cultivate gratitude for simply being able to ride a dirt bike. The truth is, the idea of being “good enough” is abstract and therefore irrelevant. One of my favourite quotes says “The willingness to be a fool is a precursor to transformation.” –Jordan Peterson. This quote helps me keep a positive mindset and not take myself so seriously both on the track and in my everyday life.
Who would you like to thank?
I would like to thank God for keeping me safe, my parents, my boyfriend and his family, and all my friends for supporting me and my obsession with everything dirt bikes. I am extremely grateful to have amazing people in my corner!
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