Vicki Golden is an American professional Freestyle Motocross rider and the first female team member of Metal mulisha. Since beginning her career in 2000 Golden has won three consecutive gold medals in Women’s Moto X Racing at the X Games. She is also the first woman to compete in a freestyle Moto X competition, earning the bronze medal in the best whip category. She currently rides a Suzuki 450/250 motocross bike.
Women Fitness President talks to motocross rider about her road to success.
Namita Nayyar:
You began racing at the age of seven. Recollect your memories of your first motorcycle ride back then? When did you realise that you wanted to pursue this professionally?
Vicki Golden:
My first bike was a XR 50 I got for Christmas when I was 7 years old. Getting that bike made it a Christmas I’ll never forget.
There was a moment when I was a kid, maybe 9 or 10 years old, that my dad said it’s time to go race an amateur national in Texas and I remember the moment to this day. I was so blown away that my dad thought I was good enough to go do that. That definitely sparked my competitive fire to want to win races but I guess I never really realized this was going to be my job until I was about 17. I was living on my own and in charge of my finances. My mom said she would put money in my account any time I asked but I had to keep track of it all. I started doing well enough at races that I just stopped asking for money and was able to pay for everything on my own. It was a surreal moment being that young able to pay my bills and it just fuel my fire as a kid to make sure I never had to ask for money and my parents were done working so hard for me and they could live for themselves.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2020 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
You are a 4 time X-Games medalist. Looking back how does it feel to attain such great heights?
Vicki Golden:
X-Games is an amazing event and comparable to the Olympics for our sport so to be able to get a medal is a huge accomplishment. The way I look at my career is that everything I accomplish now is one less regret when I’m retired and something to be proud of. On my bad days of riding or training I’m able to look at those medals and know that one bad day won’t make or break you and just keep working hard for what I want.
Namita Nayyar:
How do you like to kick start your day? What does your first meal of the day comprise of?
Vicki Golden:
I normally start my day off with 30 min on a spin bike to get my body warmed up. After so many broken bones its tough to get moving in mornings. Haha. Hop off the bike and drink 16 – 24 ounces of celery juice. Then I normally have a few slices of avocado toast and some turkey sausage. Load up my dirt bike and have some fruit on my way to go ride.
Namita Nayyar:
Before starting off as a professional motor racing racer, what are the key points a beginner needs to keep in mind? 5 key essentials to stay focussed and committed.
Vicki Golden:
When you’re starting off its important to learn the basics. Throttle, brakes, shifting, clutch, and body positioning. Its tedious work off the start but if you can master the basics early it will set you up for success in the long run. If you skip on these steps it’s will limit you down the road.
Namita Nayyar:
Three components that are a must in your fitness regime? 5 exercises to build full-body strength post your 30s?
Vicki Golden:
Three musts in my fitness regiment are;
1. Eating about 2 hours prior to a work out. If I don’t eat at the right time or the right meal my workout suffers.
2. Stretching is a must before and after my workouts. My job is basically doing gymnastics but on a dirt bike in the air so flexibility is key.
3. Taking the right supplements before and after. One of the best sponsors I have is Onnit. They make literally everything and the quality of the product is amazing. I always take their prework out and protein for after.
My workouts are normally full body and 90% of the time its functional training. Rarely using machines. I have a great trainer, Charles Dao from Icon Sports in Murrieta, Ca. He gives me a bit more than 5 workouts but we basically address my weaknesses and incorporate them into my workouts. I had a bad crash that I almost lost my leg. Thankfully I didn’t but I have an ankle that’s fused so range of motion is very limited and basic balance is really tough. So we have focused a lot on balance and legs while maintaining the rest of my body’s strength. This is my latest workout from Charles..
- DB Corkscrews 15x 15#
- DB Bentover Row’s to RDL (Straight Leg Deadlift) 10x 20#
- In & Out Jumps (Black Band) 20x
- Single Arm DB Chest Press on Swissball 10/10x 30#
- Bulgarian Split Squat Jumps 10/10x
- Lateral Walkouts with Band 10x
- 3 Way Heel Touches on BOSU 5/5x
- Leg Raises to Press Up 20x
- Reverse Angels 20x
Namita Nayyar:
What are the must-have in your gym bag?
Vicki Golden:
Must haves are pretty simple for me. Water. I like to travel light and the training facility is a few minutes from my house so I normally don’t bring much. Haha.
Namita Nayyar:
Define the Women Fitness website for our viewers.
Vicki Golden:
I believe a lot of people make the mistake of not being open to trying new things pertaining to diet and fitness. The Women Fitness website has so much invaluable information from professionals from every corner of the fitness industry. Having access to all of these new ideas in one single spot is amazing. Even though my workouts focus more on explosive strength and cardio, I still benefit from pilates, yoga, and even TRX style training.
Namita Nayyar:
As a sportswoman, what skincare and hair care routine do you follow to combat the stress of the sport?
Vicki Golden:
Being in the dirt and sweating everyday definitely takes a toll. Almost any form of washing your face with any product is going to help but obviously the most important thing is simply consistency. After a day of riding and training I can easily forget to go through my nightly routine before bed. Or wake up and forget in the morning and just go straight to the garage to get my gear bag packed. It all just goes to consistency like it does with everything in life.
Namita Nayyar:
You are also the first female to qualify for Supercross & Arenacross. How do you feel about this incredible benchmark that you have set?
Vicki Golden:
Trying to qualify for Arenacross and Supercross was a really difficult task. I was up against the best guys in the world fighting for the same thing and they didn’t care who was out there. Male or female they were going to hit you off the track to gain that position. It was tough as first but I basically had to learn to ride aggressive and be able to manage riders behind me trying to push me off the track while trying to push the guy in front of me off the track. Those series are basically kill or be killed. Haha.
Namita Nayyar:
You have an incredible following on your Instagram account @vgolden423, how do you connect and keep it real for your followers?
Vicki Golden:
I really have nothing to hide. I live an amazing life and am completely grateful to be able to call riding dirt bikes my job.
The other part of my job is to inspire others and I can do that from just telling my stories, injuries, setbacks, and comebacks on social media. I really try to reply to everyone and take that time to connect with my followers. Not only does it get my followers stoked it gets me fired up too. The messages I get motivates me to keep doing what I’m doing because of my fans.
Follow her on:
- https://www.instagram.com/vgolden423/
- https://www.facebook.com/vgolden423/
- https://twitter.com/vgolden423
This interview is exclusively taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2020 Women Fitness