Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1545994
12 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com second world championship by taking a three- hour nap, the equivalent of giving my brain a hard reboot. And when I woke up, I knew what my job was: So I smiled. I popped the bo le of champagne Andrew had hurriedly bought at the grocery store an hour prior. I shook hands, I posed for photos, I held my second place trophy high. If the FIM had actually brought the medals to this round, I would have bit it and winked at the camera. Later that night, I laid my head down on Kiwi's couch and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. And that, dear readers, is the most honest and truthful story I can tell of my 2026 season. I almost ended the story here. As I began to proofread and ponder whether this story was really something that should be shared, I paused and flipped my right hand over to expose my wrist. I admired the eagle ta oo that I designed myself—looked at the two stars beneath, one for each championship. Despite my social nature, sense of humor, fond- ness for prac cal jokes, and love of storytelling, deep down I've got a pre y melancholic nature. I try to keep that closer. The humor, the charm, the cheerfulness, all that is a real part of me too, please understand. It's not a mask, it's not an act - but it is also something I try my hardest to lean into and bring to the forefront. For everyone else's sake, but also for my own, because it's how I keep my head above water. That's part of the reason I put this ta oo on my wrist, where I see it o en. I can look down and re- mind myself that things aren't really that bad. In the big scheme of things, I have it be er than most. But as I said earlier, I write honestly and from the heart. And today, as much as I enjoy looking at the two stars, I must confess that what really draws my eye is the empty place where I plan to put the third… It's a blessing and a curse that many top athletes share. The only thing we really care about is what comes next. And even though it changes nothing - my worries and struggles and insecuri es and loneli-