From an early age, Jani grew up browsing motocross magazines and riding his bike in the nearby woods. Jani remembers well how he rode down a gentle hill in daycare and felt it was perfect. However, he eventually stopped dreaming about motorcycles and later on only rode a bike to get somewhere.

As an adult, Jani didn’t have a sporting hobby that he enjoyed. He tried skate- and snowboarding but they didn’t quite give the full satisfaction. Soccer was ok, but at the hobby level, some players’ selfish behavior annoyed him. Jani kept himself in shape with running, doing long walks and occasionally utility cycling, still enjoying the speed and thrills on downhill streets with his unsafe bicycle. Indeed, something was missing in his life.

After seeing the downhill mountain biking film Not Bad on Netflix he realized only then that such a sport exists and knew immediately he had longed for it since he rode down that hill as a kid. He had finally found his passion in sports.

Jani says, nothing is more fun than shredding down a trail through roots and rocks, with full suspension taking the hits, while your eyes are scanning the terrain for the next obstacles on the way, finding the quickest line through. Riding a bike off-road over rough terrain takes you to the extremes of endurance, balance and skills. If you want to ride down, you must climb up. The steep downhills require focus, perseverance and belief in oneself. Mountain biking has definitely increased Jani’s self-confidence and fitness and made him happier. For Jani it’s also about the exitement, improvement and overcoming fears.