F*@# 2020 - Onward Anyways!

 Let's be honest, 2020 took my plans, threw them on the ground, stomped them through dog doo-doo, and then swirled that mixture in my hair.

Okay, not in reality (no poo in my hair), but it sure felt that way. I know I was not alone in my misery, but my struggle is my own and this year was just one major struggle after another.

Not that it was all bad - despite a rather pathetic showing from me, my sponsors stuck by me through the year (and many into this coming year along with some new ones!). I moved to an area where I'm pretty darn happy. I've made some new and awesome friends and acquaintances. I got much better set up for the track in general (primary purchase being a trailer that I can haul and camp in rather than dealing with hotels or tents). 

So as a final THANK-YOU to my sponsors who stuck by me last year - love you all!  

RiderzLaw

Roseville Yamaha-Kawasaki

Dunlop Race Tires

BARF Racing

MC Tech

Hustle Hard Racing

Motul USA

Motion Pro

Fast Frank Racing

CHR

I had some personal struggles this year - two "partially across the country" moves left my old circle of friends behind, and left me finding and creating new friendships. I've met some awesome people, but as we all know, that lack of "history" still leaves a hole that it simply takes time to fill.

Things in my career went haywire with major leadership changes, followed by a desire to shift back into a different role, and then that all went entirely off the rails with COVID-19 plunging the entire economy into chaos, finally ending with me being laid off and unemployed for the first time in 32 years of working history (different jobs, but I've never been unable to find a job since I was 12 years old...).

Icing on the cake was that the "stuff" that built up over the past few years finally seemed to have firmly wormed it's way into my head, and my on-track performance took a major hit in 2020 (as did my personal confidence). I lost my fight, and it showed with sad lap times, poor finishes, and a complete inability to "push" myself beyond my comfort zone.

While the chaos and upheaval has sucked, there is a silver lining. Being forced out of a toxic job is giving me the opportunity to reevaluate what I want to do and focus on. Living in an area I like and can afford is starting to create a willingness to put down some roots and develop some deeper connections to people again. 

Finally, I have been given an opportunity to dig deep and find that inner toughness that slowly slipped away the past several years. I started taking part in a mental toughness challenge that seems to be helping me rediscover that part of me that has been missing for a while now. It's also a great way to get my fitness and weight where they should be, which helps with my self confidence as well as improving my ability to push my limits on the bike.

2021 holds no promises at this point, and who knows what the world will look like this time next year, but I'm going to do everything in my power to bring back the "old AJ" and persevere on chasing my passion!

To the sponsors who've already committed to partnering with me this coming year - thank-you! To everyone who has supported me through these turbulent times - thank you so much!