Personal History
My name is Eli VanAutreve. I'm currently seventeen years old. I have been riding for eleven years now. I got my first bike when I was seven. At age ten I decided to take it from my backyard to the track. My first bike was a Suzuki drz 110. Then as I got older I went from a Yamaha ttr 125 to a Yamaha yz 85 to a Kawasaki (04) kx 250f. In the 2009 season I will be racing my Kawasaki (08) kx 250f. My favorite place to ride is at my home track in Walnut, IL at Sunset Ridge.
Not only am I involved in Motocross, but I play basketball for Princeton High School. Basketball is definitely my other passion next to motocross. Juggling both sports over winter months is not all that hard, but when summer rolls around it is a different story, however I find myself more dedicated to motocross. Something I also like to do is workout. It definitely helps to keep me in shape for motocross. I like to be fit. Also, people think its weird that I eat really healthy, but I'm not into the junk food all that much.
Riding Goals
As I look back on the 2008 season and ahead into the 2009 season I know I have a lot of adversity to over come. About a month after the 2008 Loretta Lynn Qualifier I was practicing for a big two day race at Sunset Ridge. I approached the step up triple as I normally would, but somehow it went all wrong. It all happened so fast, I couldn't save it in time. As I landed I was thrown off my bike, I had landed on my right arm. I spent my last days of the summer and the season in the hospital. I had dislocated my arm from my shoulder and hanging by my muscles and tendons was my humorous, completely broken. I won't hide it, I was scared. Especially after the doctors thought I had fractured my spine. Luckily my spine was fine, but I had to have surgery on my arm. I had to have two (two inch) screws placed in my arm. It took two months to recover fully. I would have to say that one of my goals would be to completely block this out of my mind when I race and not to worry about it. The biggest goal of this year however will be to qualify for Loretta Lynn. I believe this year will not only be my break through season but a comeback as well. I want this year more than anything and I'm prepared to do whatever it takes.