Adrenaline pumping, heart racing, eyes on the prize. Moments before the race begins, sophomore Tyson Adams is zeroed in on the grueling race he has before him.  He has nearly a minute to prove that he deserves this upcoming win. 

Adams regularly competes in Bicycle Motocross Racing, or BMX. BMX is a sport where competitors race against one another on dirt tracks. Adams got his start in racing at the age of 10, when he first moved to Louisiana. 

“When I first moved to Louisiana, there was a kid who lived in my neighborhood named Gavin who competed in BMX Racing,” Adams said. “Gavin and his family introduced me to the sport, and I fell in love with it. I started racing in November of 2017, but when I moved back to Texas in 2019, I stopped racing. I started racing again in May of 2021.” 

According to Adams, there is much to love about the sport, but he really enjoys the feeling of total control and adrenaline.  

“I like that I have control over everything with my bike,” Adams said. “I love the rush I get when I am flying through the air, having a team behind me, and how social and active the sport is.”

Adams has won over 15 National Podiums and was proclaimed National 1 10 Novice in 2017. He hopes to have a future in BMX Racing.  

“I have been training to go to the Olympics ever since I have heard of the sport,” Adams said. “It is my dream to qualify for Worlds, the Olympics, and the College Championship. My main goal is to win at Grands next year in Tulsa, Oklahoma. However, my biggest goals are to win gold at the Olympics, win the College Championship, and to win World 1 at Worlds.” 

Adams works out every morning to prepare for his weekly races. 

“I wake up at 5:15 every morning and start my work out at 5:30,” Adams said. “I usually finish around 6:30, then I clean up and head to school. I race once or twice a week at Rockstar Energy Bike Park in Houston. BMX Racing is a very mental sport, but it does not require a lot of thinking.” 

Adams struggles to balance everything he does. When he first started racing, he was not initially unsuccessful, which proved to be a challenge for him. However, he is now very accomplished in his racing.  

“Overall, it is honestly kind of hard to manage racing and school,” Adams said. “Other than that, racing intermediate was challenging because I always lost, but then I took a break. When I came back I was faster than ever. 11 months later I broke my collarbone, but then I came back faster and stronger than everyone on my track.” 

According to Adams, the team is successful and he has big dreams for both himself and the team. 

“It feels weird to be this fast and to help train the Houston BMX Racing family,” Adams said. “We have gotten very deep into the sport. I have been getting a lot of attention from big companies on Instagram, and I might be going factory this coming year. If I do not go factory this year, I hope my team will soon so I can get my own personal jersey. However, I hope to expand the team before the end of the year.”