Rudell “RJ” Pitcher has always been passionate about motocross. He was introduced to the sport by his father, Rudell Pitcher, who would take him to Southside where his uncle Jamel Pitcher would race.

RJ didn’t start riding until he was four. By the time he was seven he was competing on CRF50s.

Now 13, his dream is to become a professional racer.

With that in mind his aunt Raygina Fox arranged for him to attend a motocross camp in California this summer. Called SLMX School, it’s run by veteran rider Sean Lipanovich.

“I watch him on television all the time,” said RJ who spent a week there practising from 8am to 12pm each day.

“We were working mostly on techniques and different body positions and jumps,” he said. “The most important thing was the body position. I feel like I was doing it wrong before. The coaches were pushing me every day to do my best.”

In Bermuda he finds it repetitive going around the same track, over and over.

While in California he got to ride on the Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park and the Fox Raceway in Pala.

“Glen Helen was the most difficult,” RJ said. “It was really big and had a lot of steep hills. They had two tracks there with one being more difficult.”

Said Ms Fox: “We saw this older guy who had just started motocross go by. He did one lap, did a jump and came down in front of the handlebars and landed on his face. We were trying to tell the riders to stop. The track is so huge.”

The rider was knocked out for a period before the ambulance came, but survived. The accident shook both RJ and his aunt.

“We were calling every day to find out if he was all right,” Ms Fox said.

Southern California is a hub for professional motocross racers. While on the Glen Helen track, RJ spotted several including Jason Anderson, a winner of the Supercross title.

“He was training for an upcoming race,” the teenager said, adding that meeting the motocross star was one of the highlights of his time in California. “He doesn’t talk much. He was humble. I asked him what his routine was, and he said he gets on the track and treadmill every day and does a lot of exercises.”

The conversation inspired him to increase his own fitness routine. The 85cc motocross bike that he rides weighs around 160lbs.

“Three times a week I lift weights and I do push-ups and run,” he said.

RJ has spent a month each summer with his aunt since he was a toddler and she has been a big supporter of his dreams.

“He even keeps a motocross bike at my house so that he can ride while he is here,” Ms Fox said. “But he outgrew it during Covid-19 so we will have to sell that. When he took part in the camp, they provided a bike.

“Not everyone is born with a passion and a purpose. You could see this kid was born to ride.”

RJ has been injured a few times, breaking his collar bone and fracturing an elbow. Getting the proper training and experience reduces RJ’s chance of injury, Ms Fox said.

“We just pray that he is in God’s hands. You can’t make mistakes in this sport. There is no room for error.”

His family is considering the possibility of RJ moving to California to live with Ms Fox.

“There are lots of tracks and trainers in California,” she said. “And motocross has an online course for high school. He could train every day.”

It would also allow RJ to take part in races that would raise his profile and move him ahead in the sport.

“I see his potential,” Ms Fox said. “I see that it can be done. There are so many resources and opportunities here. We always tell him to stay consistent and do what he is told to do. [That he] can make this happen.”

Most important however, is that he keeps his grades up.

“You don’t want to be a dumb athlete,” Ms Fox said. “You need to be able to understand contracts and understand everything that is going on.”

Physics and physical education are RJ’s favourite subjects at the moment. In addition to motocross, he plays football.

Although it is possible to make a living from motocross through race winnings and sponsorships “it is about more than just money”, Ms Fox said.

“It is about his love for the sport. [Trainers at the camp] definitely encouraged us to continue on supporting him in the sport so he can get better and better.”

RJ already has his sights set on next year’s camp. In the meantime, he is getting ready for the start of racing season at Southside next month. His family is confident he has a good chance of doing well.

For information on SLMX School visit www.slmxschool.com