I was lucky to grew up outside of town, nature and kidsa are so different there.

That part of my childhood was strange when I look back.

I was really good at every sport I tried but every time when I got really good, it wasn't fun for me anymore and I coulnd't stand 

competitions in team sports because your 350% sometimes don't matter because of someone's 10% that they gave.

So one day a good friend of mine got BMX as a gift, I tried to ride it and that was it, my life changed forever. 

2. What were my dreams and main motivation to risk to the fullest as a child?

- Well, I'm gonna start with 'what was my motivation' because 'the dream' came later.

I was always borrowing bmx bike from my friend until a year later I got my very own bmx bike.

Man I can still remember that feeling, wow. Important part for this story should be the fact that I didn't know we had a skatepark in my hometown,

no joke. After a few week cruising all around our block, we met 2 older kids that were also riding bmx & they showed us the park.

I could barely bunny hop at that time, and now I'm looking at dudes that can jump on the box jump. I was too shy to try anything but I found 

sketchy jump in the woods 10 minute from the skatepark. I was so scared because it didn't come to my mind that I should go baby steps,

instead I pedaled as much as I could and ofcorse, cleared the whole jump and landed on my face. Ans I was hooked, I gues that thirst and

feeling acheiving something that you fear a lot, that was my motivation. Fast forward many tricks and broken bones, that's still something that 

drives me today, but there's a lot of  new things I started to be aware as I grew. 

New levels of motivation happened when I saw pro's riding a local contest which now happens to be the bigest action sports festival in this 

part of Europe ( I know, so lucky right?) Seing those big tricks in person made me realize if they could do it, I can do it too.

Another level of motivation when risking to the fullest is just that feeling of peace you get when you're in that state of mind.

it feels so natural when your mind is clear and you can flow perfectly through and idea you visualize on your bike.

3. Why did I cling to bmx in my darkest moments? 

-Well actually I didn't, that's why those were the darkest moments of my life.

Whenever I was going through something and I had the possibility to ride my bike

to the fullest, I could survive anything. That bike charges my soul faster than anything else.

There were times not so long ago, where I was lying in a hospital bed in 4:00am listening the surgeon saying

"I have to do a spine surgery now and maybe I wont have time for you. Your bones are really fucked up and I'll do my best

to make time." and leaves. In that kind of times, there only the idea that you may ride again 100% is what keep you alive mentaly. 

4.How's my life when I'm not riding bmx?

- In the begining, after a few days of not riding I would feel like an addict. I just needed to go ride or I'm gonna get into

some kind of crisis if you know what I mean? Now, after years and years of leraning how to cope with situations where I just can't

ride it's still so hard especially after week or two pass. But it's good to learn how to be calm and happy outside of that box.

It showed me just how much all of us are putting our happines in the BMX basket, which is not good. 

Training, meditation and just being aware of every moment when I'm not on my bike is how I live my life when I'm not riding. 

5. Many know me as a rider, but few know what it costed me to get here where I am and what were the challenges that I lived through

to get here? 

- Well, I live in a small town in Croatia ( cca 85000 people live here) and almost everybody knows me as a bmc rider, but only

my closest people know what I went through to be here today. From early days where you switch school for hours and hours in the skatepark

where you fight with parents because they worry like every normal human being because you don't wanna go to college, you just want to ride.

Then you get older and you have to pay your bills, training and all kinds of stuff such as surgerys and therapies. Since it's a small town,

people are teeling you to quit and live a normal life. You skipping parties and late morning so you can do your best in the skatepark.

Losing friends that stopped riding and starte having 'fun'. Then you brake your body more than once, and doctors start to tell you that you 

have to stop since here there isn't many doctors that understand our sport. My older sister making an 'intervention' where she and her husband

are advising me chase girls and live a 'normal' life. Riding alone for one long period in time because people stopped riding.

All of this were and still are huge challenges that I deal with from time to time just so I can be where I am, and I'm still not where I

want to be. It's like, you don't have proper support from people you care about, which shouldn't matter but it's much easier when you 

have it with the proper conditions to grow as an athleete. In the end, it only makes you stronger, but you have to suffer before you grow. 

6. I think this question about the challenges I've overcame can relate to the text above? 

- BMX helped me to overcome every single problem in my life. Not mainly riding bmx but just hanging out in the skatepark with my favorite people.

all of us are like ona small family and that saved my life many times. 

7. I thought a lot about that, what would I say to the youunger self. I guess everything comes down to this:

-Don't compare yourself to other rider, ever. Sacrifice more, but train smarter so your body could handle your will to

achieve something. Don't fight for your right to ride bmx, it's your right just as it is your right to brathe.

Girls, drugs and everything that comes with it is never gonna be as good as the feeling when you give your everything, and 

it worked. Trust me. It's okay for people not to follow your path, not everyone is for this kind of sacrifice.

8. My message to the kids who suffer through depression and all kinds of addictions? Who are not trying something out of fear?

- Well, since I was that kid who got out of it I'm gonna give myself premission to talk like this:

Kids, no one, but NO ONE is going to save you. Not your friends, or parents, or some kind of super hero. 

You are gonna stay in this dark hole until you get yourself up. And when you do, it's gonna feel so good, because

you're gonna realize that you have so much power, you just have to smash those walls you locked yourself into.

I know it's hard and it looks like it's impossible, but you have to try every day. Help yourself with proper tools.

Read books, switch you habits one by one, go like this day by day and one year from now you'll see how war you came.

Time is the most expensive curency trust me. Takke your life in your hands and you'll see how many thing which you 

don't expect are gonna happen. Universe works that way, just show some courage and will to do it, and things will happen.