Wyatt Fontenot always dreamt of being a motocross rider.
Just last week, he reached one of his goals by placing 4th in the 2024 X Games.
The Opelousas native first started riding dirt bikes at 8 years old. He wanted to go as far as the trail would take him. But as years went by, Fontenot put on the brakes to focus on taking care of himself. Eventually, his love for the sport kicked back in.
“I bought a bike a year later,” said Fontenot. "It felt good to be racing again it was like I was a kid again.”
In 2021 he decided to move to California, hoping that he could pursue his dream. As soon as he got there an injury shattered his vision.
“Things didn’t go as smooth on the very first day he got here," said his friend Shelby Knight. “He hit the track and broke his leg.”
The broken tibia didn’t sideline Fontenot for a long time; in fact, he was itching to dust himself off and try again.
“I didn’t have any motion for a while,” said Fontenot. “When I bought another bike and started riding, I thought to myself it must be another way.”
He found himself back in California again and caught the eyes of a well-known motocross biker Jeremey Steinburg. They vouched for him to participate in the X Games, and he finished fifth in 2023.
“Jeremy Steinburg pushed for it hard,” said Fontenot. “He told him that I would have a chance to win or at least podium for sure.”
Fontenot believes there is more left in the tank, but for now, he is satisfied that he cleared every obstacle that was placed in front of him.
“Happiness is me going after what I want to do in life, and I can’t be any more blessed than that.”