216 – Bikes, Cerebral Palsy & Elite Level Racing with James Anderson
Today’s guest:
Elite level racer, Orange Bikes sponsored rider, bike guide for his local council, monoplegia sufferer and super fast rider – James Anderson
In episode #216 we are chatting with James Anderson about growing up with monoplegia, how this affected his childhood, how he got into riding bikes, why he never told anybody outside of his family and close friends about his condition and how through grit, determination and willpower (lets not forget skill level) he is racing at world cup level, is a sponsored rider and is loving every moment of it.
Put your feet up, take a time out and learn how this young man has come through so much to be chasing his racing MTB dreams. If for any reason you need some help lifting yourself up at the moment, this is the episode for you.
Enjoy the show!
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This episode is proudly sponsored by ALLTA
Here at MTB Tribe we are super excited to introduce you all to our new brand – ALLTA.
ALLTA is a range of mountain bike clothes and accessories dedicated to make mountain biking easier. Our gear is designed to be practical, stylish and environmentally friendly. Our best-selling Trail Changing Robe will keep you warm and dry while you are getting changed in and out of your riding gear and our other pieces work just as well on the streets as on the trails.
We’re a small Irish based brand, but our range is growing steadily with the support of a fantastic group of mountain bikers across Ireland and the UK.
You can check us out at www.rideallta.com or on Instagram @ride.allta
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Find Out:
- What it was like for James growing up with monoplegia
- How he overcome his condition to jump on a bike
- How monoplegia affects James
- Why bikes have played such a large roll in James’s life
- How he got into racing
- How he landed a deal to race for Orange Bikes
- James’s very cool job working for his local council
- Why he never told anybody in the race scene about his condition
- Why he decided to change that
- What it was like breaking the news to his sponsor and childhood favourite brand, Orange
- How James feels now that people know about his condition and how he intends to help people through his message
- His race schedule for the 2022 race season
- James’s future plans
- How to get in contact and find out more
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James is a fast rider and when I say fast I mean FAST. Just head over to his socials (link below) and have a look for yourself. For instance, I would have to have started riding and racing 20 years earlier to even think about getting to James’s level. Now take this and add on that James was born with monoplegia which is a form of cerebral palsy, including dyslexia and dyspraxia, which left him with underdeveloped muscle growth on the right hand side of his body. If I am not mistaken he had to use stabilisers on his bike until he was nine years old.
This left James with massive challenges to overcome in everyday life, at school, playing sports and everything that comes with being a kid. His diagnosis said he would never play sports, but even from an early age this did not sit well with James. James was determined to play the sports he wanted to, and to learn the best way to deal with his condition, and the only way James knew was to attack it, work hard and never give up. A determination he carries to this day.
The crazy thing is when James was making a name for himself, winning races, standing on both downhill and enduro podiums, racing at an elite level and even getting sponsored by Orange Bikes (a childhood favourite brand), he never told anybody about his condition, never used it as an excuse for having a bad day…nothing, he just got on with it. Now if that is not the level of a man I don’t know what is.
After a few life changes (for the good) and a little persuasion from his girlfriend, James decided that he wanted to tell his story. The main purpose for this decision was to help anybody that may be struggling with a problem or issue and show them that through his journey with bikes, racing and the network of great people he has built around him, that he has been able to live life to the full and chase his dreams by throwing all his passion at something he totally believes in. And James wants to share the story that you can too. Your passion doesn’t need to be racing, bikes, or even sport, you just need that something that you are super passionate about, that you can throw your all at, have a purpose and being for why you are here and why you want to make things better for yourself and those around you.
We chat with James about this and much much more including how Orange Bikes took the news about his condition, what races James hopes to be attending over the 2022 race season and what he has planned for the near future.
Thanks for being here and for your support.
Enjoy the episode!
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To Connect with James:
Instagram: jamesanderson_15
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVqokZneGwsxHTN9r1s5eWQ/featured
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James’s Sponsors:
@orangebikes: instagram.com/orangebikes
@kompleteperfomance: instagram.com/komplete_performance
@flowstyleco: instagram.com/flowstyleco
@fenwicksbike: instagram.com/fenwicksbike
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Resources in this Episode:
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This episode is proudly sponsored by ALLTA
Here at MTB Tribe we are super excited to introduce you all to our new brand – ALLTA.
ALLTA is a range of mountain bike clothes and accessories dedicated to make mountain biking easier. Our gear is designed to be practical, stylish and environmentally friendly. Our best-selling Trail Changing Robe will keep you warm and dry while you are getting changed in and out of your riding gear and our other pieces work just as well on the streets as on the trails.
We’re a small Irish based brand, but our range is growing steadily with the support of a fantastic group of mountain bikers across Ireland and the UK.
You can check us out at www.rideallta.com or on Instagram @ride.allta
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To Share Your Thoughts or Get In Contact:
To Help Out The Show:
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Thanks to James for coming on the show and sharing his story.
And thank you once again for tuning in!
Join me next time for another MTB TRIBE Podcast show.
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