2019-08-01_Maxim_Australia

PAT ’s STATS

●MemberofFreestyleKings– CrustyDemons

●PerformedinUnitedStates,Australia,

China,Mexico,Russian,Sweden,Germany,

CzechRepublic,Mongolia,France,

PapuaNewGuinea,Russia,England,

Denmark,SpainandNewZealand.

●FirstplaceatNitroWorldGames

●Podiumattheworld

championshiproundsinEurope

●AustralianFMXChampion

● X Games competitor

“MYABILITY

TOWALKTHE

TIGHTROPE

BETWEENLIFE

AND DEATHHAS

BECOMESECOND

NATURE.”

EXTREME SPORT

Whatgoesthroughyourmind

beforeperforming?

If you’renotcareful,alltypesof crazy

stuff!SomeofthemoreriskystuffI’ve

done,likewhenI didtheworld’sfirst

“RulerFrontFlip”in competition– Google

it – I wasfacedwithsomuchfearand

doubtI wasoverwhelmedwitha temporary

feelingof depression.Ashumanswe

arehard-wiredtostayoutof harm’s

way,althoughwhenyou’regiftedwitha

passionthathappenstobebasedaround

riskingyourlife,it’sa realcontradicting

predicamenttofindyourselfin.

Howdoyoustayfocused?

Overtimeit’sbecomesomewhatsecond

nature.I rememberwhenI wasstillclimbing

theranksin thesport,sometimesI wouldn’t

becompletelyunfocusedbecauseI was

distractedbythecrowdorthingsaround

me.I learntthehardwaythatthiscaused

accidents.So,overtheyearsI’vedeveloped

theabilitytoshuteverythingoutaroundme.

Now,whenI competeorperform– even

if I’min a stadiumwith20,000people

screaming – I’m in my helmet completely

oblivioustothefactthere’seven

anyoneelsethereexceptme.

Whenit comestomotorcyclestunts,

doyouhavea personalfavourite?

It’salwayschanging.Atthemoment

I wouldsaymyfavouritetrickis a

“doublegrabbackflip”– hanging

offthebackof thebikebymyhands

perpendiculartothebikewhile

doinga backflip.It’sfunnybecause

this trick used to make me feel

filledwithfearresultingin hesitatingand
backingout.Thethingis though,youonly
haveaboutthreesecondstodecideif
you’regoingtocommitand,whiletravelling
at thesespeedswithallthevisualand
mentaldistractions,tobesimultaneously
calculatinga lifeordeathdecisionit takes
hugeamountsofbrainpowerandemotions
tocrushthenegativethoughtsanddecide
I’mwillingtogoforit. Thisis wheregetting
upat 4amtotraincomesintoplay.When
youhavedisciplinedyourselftogetup
wellbeforethesuneveryday,whileyour
bodyis screaming“no”,it givesyouthe
abilitytobein control when facing a life
ordeathdecision.

So,doubtsurfacesbefore
attemptinga stunt?
Forsure!I willbefacedwithaneven
worseversionof negativeemotionin the
formofregretin combinationandthe
factI havea deepbeliefthatthisis what
I wasborntodois essentiallymy“why”.
Meditatingonthisreasoningis usually
enoughtogetmein theright mind frame
totakeonthechallenge.

Howdoyoupreparefora performance
orcompetition?
BecausewhatI dois justasmuch,if not
more,of a mentalgame,onceI’mactually
at aneventandI knowI’vedoneeverything
physicallytopreparemyself.Therest
comesdowntomymentality– making
sureI’mfocusedonbeingascalmas
I canwhendealingwiththeelusivefeelings
offearanddoubt.Beingdisciplinedin this
aspectandkeepinga positiveoutlook
whenyourbodyandmindis screaming
nottodosomethingis justas challenging
asthephysicalityof it all.

Doyouhavea specificroutine
beforeyougooutandperform?
Notparticularly.Mostly,I justtryto
remindmyselfthatrightnowI’mlivingan
experienceI’veliterallybeenstrivingfor
mywholelife.A lotof mytimeat anevent
is spentin myhead,remindingmyselfto
begreatandfullfortheopportunityI’m
gettingtoexperience.Andtonotputtoo
muchemphasisonresultsbecause,at
theessenceofit all,I dothisbecauseit’s
funandbecauseI wanttoexperiencean
extraordinarylife.So,gettingcaughtup
in anythinglessthan enjoying myselfis
a waste of time.

PHOTOS (THIS PAGE:

CHRIS TEDESCO