We met up with our own Aaron Gwin this past October to see how he was holding up in the off-season, and wanted to see how we was liking the all new Super Air. Since October, so much has changed and we now wanted to hear how he was handling these current interesting times. What we got back from Aaron was some solid positive perspective we might all need right now. So have a watch and a read and enjoy!
How are you doing?
“I’m doing pretty good overall considering the situation that we’re in. Things are definitely pretty tough at the moment but a lot of that is out of my hands so I’m just focused on making the most of the things I can do. I’m trying to be as proactive and encouraging as I can be with the sponsors and people around me. We’re all in this together so I’m just doing what I can to help as much as possible. There are a lot of people out there whose lives have been completely turned upside down in the matter of a few weeks. It’s sad to watch and I really feel for them.Looking forward to better days ahead for sure.”
Looking forward to better days ahead for sure.
How are you handling the cancellation of the first 4 World Cups of the Season?
“Obviously, it’s a huge bummer. I’ve had a great offseason as I’m sure a lot of other racers did and was just excited to get the race season started after a lot of months of hard work. I’m just taking it as it comes and adjusting the best I can. It’s not something that we ever thought would happen so we’re working hard as a team to make the most of a bad situation. We’ll get back to racing hopefully sooner than later but until then, there’s a lot of other work to be done to help out and I’ve turned most of my focus towards that.”
In times like these, how do you stay positive?
“Well I guess for myself it just starts with my perspective and assessing the reality of my life. I’ve got great friends and people around me that I love. I can still go on bike rides and enjoy a good view. Those are really the sweet spots in life for me and regardless of how difficult things might get, those people and things are still there. I also have my health and my family/friends are healthy so I’m very thankful for that.”
I’ve got great friends and people around me that I love.
Do you experience anxiety in times like these or do you just try and stay busy? Keeping your mind focused on other things?
“Ya I mean there’s no way around it, this whole situation is pretty hard on everyone, I think. For the riders and teams, it could potentially turn into a lot more than just missing a few races. It’s a lot worse for some other people out there for sure but even for us, there’s huge negative implications when the world economy shuts down almost overnight. I have people that depend on me to make a living too and I really want them to be cared for. I believe that we’ll get through this, it’s just going to be tough for a time. As I said before, I’m focused on being as productive as I can, and I think that’s the best thing we can all do right now. Some people are really struggling right now, and I’ve committed myself fully to helping in the ways that I’m able, both in and outside of racing.”
How often have you been riding during this lockdown?
“I’m still riding fairly regularly. It’s important to ride safe in these times but I feel like I always ride within my limits, so I don’t believe I’m taking on a ton of extra risk. I’m in the middle of a big film series that I’m shooting with Clay Porter this week, so we’ve been busy with that. We’re doing more behind the scenes filming than riding, but we’ve had some really good days and that’s been a lot of fun. Riding and being outside definitely helps my brain and keeps me refreshed in times like these so I’m glad I can still do it.”
How often are you working out? Are you working out at home now?
“I’d say I work out from home about 50% of the time right now. I’m fortunate to have access to a private training facility where I have my own key, so I’ve been going in there solo to get my bigger work outs done too which has been a huge help.”
What are you doing to stay busy? We saw some serious puzzles going down on your IG story lately. Books? Shows? Movies?
“Haha Ya when the first race in Portugal was cancelled, I decided to take a rest week and regroup a bit. We were kinda stuck inside anyways because the weather was pretty bad here in So Cal. It rained for a few straight weeks which was weird for us. We did some puzzles and put in some solid Netflix hours; it was a fun change of pace. That’s all pretty much stopped now though and I’m just wide open trying to manage this whole situation daily. Whatever spare time I have not emailing or on the phone is spent entertaining Clay’s video camera. Haha.”
Are you more or less staying on your regular daily schedule?
“Pretty much ya, it’s just gotten a lot busier in between the normal stuff.”
Any new things you’re trying to pick up and learn? Or any projects you needed to finish?
“Those first few weeks I was studying real estate a bit and playing my guitar pretty regularly. My girlfriend and I were working on remolding a condo that I bought up in Big Bear a while back too. Hopefully we can get back to those things in a few months.”
When things get back to normal, what are you really looking forward to doing? Racing? Hanging with friends and family? Going out for a big meal somewhere?
“I’d say all of that. Racing for sure, it’s really weird not knowing when we’ll race again. I feel like I’m aiming at a target that keeps moving right as you get it in your sight. I almost forget that we’re still technically in a race season right now because I’m so focused on all these other things. It will be great to hang out with my friends more too and I keep joking that the true sign that life has gone back to normal will be when we can go back to the local movie theater and I can order my favorite french fries. They have the best french fries ever created.”
Any words of wisdom or encouragement for your fans during these weird times?
“I think it’s important in times like these to be able to adjust your perspective and expectations. There’s a lot of people out there who are losing their jobs, their homes, and worse. It’s hard to get past the thoughts of everything that you could lose or what “could have been” if things were different. If you can except that this is just our reality now though, you can move forward with hope and motivation. We live in a great world full of constant opportunity and things will get back on track eventually. No matter how bad this situation might get, you can always pick back up and make the most of your life from that point forward. Take this opportunity to love the people around you, help wherever you can, we’re all in this together.”
We live in a great world full of constant opportunity and things will get back on track eventually.
