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SALT LAKE CITY — An 8-year-old Utahn is turning heads in the motocross world.
Kade Johnson has won over 200 trophies for the sport and is heading to Verdun, France in July as a member of Team USA. He will be racing in four categories in the MX Master Kids competition. He is one of 11 kids who qualified to represent the country.
The second grader has been riding for nearly five years and competing for three. He said there is nothing like getting on the track.
"We hit them jumps and just ride,” Johnson said.
He rides both 50 cc and 65 cc motorbikes, competing against kids his age and older. He said this is all made possible by his family.
“My dad does more of the mechanic work and he helps my sometimes body wise,” Johnson said. “My mom like cleans my goggles and my sister just cheers me on, looks pretty!”
The crew travels across the country with his gear in a 2006 Mercedes Splinter. In the last 15 months, they’ve racked up 90,000 miles.
“We’ve been to Florida, Texas, Washington, California, and Tennessee,” Kade said.
His mom said she and her husband support their son by working full time during the week and traveling to competitions on the weekend.
“It works because we are a team and it has been one of the greatest things because it has really strengthened our marriage and as a family, we've just worked together,” Brittany Johnson said.
Their next trip together to France will be the biggest one yet. Team USA will be providing the bikes for the competition. It is a trip they have had to save up for and one they could not pass up.
“If you know that your child is doing well in something you should keep supporting it,” Brittany Johnson said.
