Todd Morse selected to be featured student in upcoming yearbook.
PSI August graduate Todd Morse PT-51 was selected by PSI to be a feature student in the upcoming June/August yearbook. The theme of the yearbook is All In, as it is a phrase that people can relate to for those who are 100% invested in their training and education. One of the questions he was asked to write about was a time he gambled or risked something, and lost it all. He left the answer area blank. I was there a few days ago getting some shots for his feature page, and asked him the question again, phrasing it differently and the short answer was, “Yeah, I almost died.” He now had my full attention. Below is the long answer.
From a young age I raced ATV Motocross and by my teenage years I was really, really good at it. I liked to ride dirt bikes as well, so I thought entering a dirt bike motocross was a natural thing to do – how different could they be? It turned out, they are completely different. With both types of racing it’s all about weight distribution. Where that weight is placed on and ATV is entirely different than on a dirt bike. I found out real fast how costly making that mistake can be. During the race, I cleared a jump and my bike came down hard. The handle bars jerked right and I was thrown over the front of the bike and landed on my head. I sprained my neck. I had a concussion. I had bruised my ribs so badly I stopped breathing in the Emergency Room. It took me several weeks to recover, and the doctor told me to stay away from racing. Of course I didn’t take that advice. I entered and completed one more dirt bike race – successfully this time – before swearing off of them for good. I’m back to ATV Motocross where I placed 2nd in CRA (Competition Riders of America) Regional division. You could say I gamble all the time when I’m out racing. It’s either win or lose out there, coming in 2nd is not a win. There is a risk each time that gate drops that this race could be your last. Accidents happen, equipment malfunctions, and other riders make mistakes that directly affect you. Having a life threatening injury is the scariest thing when you are living though it – trust me on that one. However, every racer will ask the same question after an accident, “How’s my bike/quad?”
Morse is a 2012 graduate of Kirtland High School, Kirtland, Ohio. After he completes his training in August, he is headed to Lawrenceville, Georgia where he will be working for Jet Thrust Performance.