'Godfather of BMX' Daniel Dhers not going anywhere yet
Venezuelan veteran determined to keep riding after learning how much impact his silver medal at Tokyo 2020 had on those back home.
Cycling BMX Freestyle
He might be an old-timer by action sports standards, but BMX Freestyle rider Daniel Dhers is still mixing it with the best.
The Venezuelan is 37, 17 years older than his youngest opponent at X Games Chiba, Japan's Nakamura Rim.
And while many of his rivals cite him as an idol, they will also acknowledge him as a threat. When it comes to his sport, Dhers has seen and done it all.
The 'Godfather of BMX' picked up his first of five X Games gold medals back in 2007 and has accumulated titles ever since.
He recently grabbed a silver medal at Tokyo 2020 on the sport's Olympic debut last year, something he never thought he would see in his career.
“At this point, I really enjoy challenging the new kids. It keeps me motivated to keep progressing." - Daniel Dhers to Red Bull in November
Unlocking the power of an Olympic medal
Dhers, who lives in North Carolina in the United States, is more than prepared to put in the hours to stay competitive.
His age means he has to take extra care and attention when it comes to pushing his body to the limits, but he shares his weights and reps from strength workouts on social media just to prove his intent.
He told Red Bull, "It’s definitely a lot of work. I ride every day and have been taking care of my body by strengthening it at the gym and working on my endurance.
"Riding is always the main priority and my day revolves around it so everything I do is to maintain or get better."
As well as taking on younger rivals, Dhers is also motivated by representing his country having taken silver behind Australia’s Logan Martin in Tokyo.
After being part of Venezuela's record Games haul, led by triple jump superstar Yulimar Rojas, the biking legend returned home to celebrate his achievement.
With his sport being seen by some as 'counter-culture', Dhers had modest expectations for his reception.
But when he landed in the capital Caracas, he realised how much his medal and his efforts meant to the nation.
A huge banner of his face beamed back at him as he was welcomed with open arms. From the airport, Dhers’ victory lap began as he travelled from city to city with fans everywhere revelling in his success.
Dhers' itinerary included a bike tour of the capital with legions of followers joining in on their own two wheels and a trip to the Cota 905 neighbourhood in the west of Caracas where the BMXer showed off some of his tricks.
He reflected, "I know how happy sports can make a country that’s constantly going through problems so it meant a lot to be able to contribute a little bit to that happiness."
More was to follow on a visit to Tachira state in December where locals made a 10-metre-high figure in his image as part of their New Year festivities.
There was even a stop at Angel Falls.
Along his journey Dhers, eagerly encouraged children and young people around the country to get involved in sport using his example to demonstrate what is possible if you work hard and love what you do.
He explained how he began riding at four years old on a bike so big for him he kept falling off, testing his resolve to continue. Such was his passion for BMX that his family were forced to chain up his bike to stop him from skipping school.
His resolve was tested again in 2003 when he broke his back the day before the Brazil X Games. He said, "I'd been looking forward to that event for a whole year and then I couldn’t ride it and I was in a lot of pain. I thought to myself, 'That’s it, I’m done riding.'"
But he got back on the bike, and the rest is history.
With every town he travelled to the action-sports star capitalised on the spotlight given to him by the Olympics inspiring those around him.
It in turn, inspired him to keep going.
Daniel Dhers: proud to promote BMX
Taking on the role as a BMX pioneer in Venezuela after the Games was a natural step for Dhers who has long been an advocate for making his sport accessible to all.
Back in May 2014, he opened the Daniel Dhers Action Sports Complex in Holly Springs, North Carolina with the intention of providing young children the opportunity to fall in love with riding.
“It seemed like every time a kid went, they couldn’t really start it because it was big. It was very intimidating,” Dhers told Sports Illustrated at the time.
“I want something that is friendly enough for kids and people to come and ride it and have a good time. I want to give back to the people the joy that riding has given me.”
Joy for the Venezuelan, as ever, remains at the heart of what he does even as he edges closer to his fourth decade.
And he will be hoping to bring more joy to his nation as he bids to make Paris 2024 where he would be 39 years young.