T.J. Altekruse

A professor once told me that if you want to be the best at something, you have to do what no one else is willing to do.

At the age of nine, my father bought me my first motorcycle. It was a cheap, beat-down bike from the 1980s that was a steal from a local bike shop. He rode on the back of the bike with me, teaching me the controls and how to ride it. My confidence grew...and then I had some crashes! I hated it. Riding an oversized bike that was too powerful for me scared me so much. That very well may have been the end of a mere hobby for me at that moment, but God intended it to be so much more in my life. Later that same year, my parents bought me a brand new bike for Christmas that was simpler and just right for me.

Two years later when I grew taller and was ready for a bigger saddle, the "Christmas bike" was traded in at a local dealership for a bigger model. The salesmen at the dealership said they had never seen what was a brand new bike just two years ago so beaten down and ridden to the ground. I rode that bike literally every day. My passion for motocross blossomed and for me it wasn't just some fun thing to do as a young boy. For me, it was a lot more...and I knew it.

In the years to come God blessed me with a couple new bikes along the way to suit me as I grew and my skill level increased. I am so thankful for the opportunities God gave me to indulge my passion for motocross as a youth because many people love something, but are not able to experience it for whatever reason. Ever since I fell in love with the sport, there have been times where I almost let it go because at the end of the day it's just a hobby, right!? But it always came back...

As a business management major at Oral Roberts University, I'm on a mission toward my dream: having a motocross track in my backyard. I want to provide racers across the country and around the world with one of the best racing/training facilities out there. When you follow your heart--the Spirit of the LORD--you're living out something that God was thinking about before time began.

It takes hard work...it takes sweat and tears...but sometimes it takes putting your hands in your pockets and trusting God's plan. Be encouraged, for not even the fulfillment of a dream is the end point; we are on a journey to know God more every day and to one day be with Him for eternity!