The bike started slowing, sputtering as it climbed the steep, rocky terrain. “Do a quick shift into a lower gear,” my dad shouted over the sporadic engine cough. It was one of my first times riding and the trail was, as far as I am considered, far above my level. While it felt like the hill was going to win the battle, I shifted into a lower gear and gradually made it to the top of the hill—a much easier place to start from.

This was the second summer of dirt biking trips leaving us more experienced than before…or so we thought. The scene unfolded in slow motion. As we crested the hill, my dad and I saw my brother’s bike, which had gone over the hill first, lying in the path after doing a 180 leaving my brother in the bushes 25 feet away. Anything could have happened, and while we surveyed the site of the accident, we found that even though my brother had flipped over the handle bars, he was still okay, minus cuts, bruises, and sore limbs. On dirt bike trails, there is no way to know what’s over the next hill or around the next corner. The risk and suspense of never knowing what’s next is what makes it exciting.

I am a great deal like the dirt bike trails we use during the summers. Just as going up a steep hill requires a quick shift into a lower gear, I am able to shift gears quickly in life, getting ready for anything that comes up suddenly. Having fun, while taking risks, and being safe is the perfect description of life on the trails—exhilarating.

Willingly accepting challenges, the ability to adjust to the needs at a certain moment, and the unknown all play roles in the dangerous sport of dirt biking. But it all depends on your judgment while participating. Using good judgment during the course of riding, and protecting yourself to the best of your ability’s, keeps me safe while enjoying the ride—just as it is in life.