Making his way on the Motocross scene

To get to his highest of highs on a motorcycle, it took a bit of a low to get Athol native Ryan Breece to push himself.

Not that he needed it, but the 22-year-old celebrated his first Arenacross title in May, just months after fearing he was finished.

DURING A race in Holland last year, Breece was seriously injured, putting fear in him that he might have to hang it up.

“I broke my back,” Breece said. “I thought I was done racing.”

Breece laid in bed for a little over three months, eventually going to North Idaho Physical Therapy.

“After I went there, I was able to race again in a few months,” Breece said. “I was definitely considering all my options. I was considering starting to do some online college courses. After being in bed for three months, I went and talked to Justin (Kane) and a doctor in Spokane. After a while, they just told me to take it day by day and I was able to come back.”

And come back Breece did, winning the 2017 Las Vegas Arenacross championship on May 5 at the Orleans Arena.

Competing in the 250cc class, Breece clinched the West Championship in the race, beating Hunter Sayles by six points. Breece won three main event races, while Sayles had two.

“All I had to do was beat one rider,” Breece said. “I just wanted to make sure to get to the final line before him. I was able to get a good start and won it from that.”

BREECE RETURNS to the Arenacross circuit in a few weeks, traveling to an event in Quebec, Canada.

“I love going to other countries and seeing different things,” Breece said. “Getting in and out of airports is the scariest thing. You’ve got to make sure you know what you’re traveling with.”

He recalled one particular stop at customs that made him a little nervous.

“I usually take a spare set of handlebars with me,” Breece said. “You’ve really got to make sure you know what you have. All it takes is being searched once and being delayed for a while. Then you don’t know if you’re going to make it to the race — and catch your flight — or not.”

His favorite country to race in is Germany.

“I’ve raced there the last couple of years,” Breece said. “The money is good over there, and the experience is pretty awesome.”

Breece will also compete at the upcoming Arenacross races at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds on Aug. 11-12. He competed in Arenacross races at the fairgrounds earlier this month.

“I love racing at the fairgrounds and getting a chance to see all my high school friends and guys I knew in college,” said Breece, a 2014 Coeur d’Alene High graduate. “To me, it’s more about catching up with the fans and putting on a good race for those guys. I’ve got a lot of kids that come up to me and talk to me. It’s a really cool feeling to explain what I know and give them some knowledge.”

Breece returns to the Supercross series for his third year on that circuit Jan. 6, 2018, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

Arenacross races take place in smaller stadiums and indoor arenas; Supercross races take place in larger stadiums.

“I love what I do,” Breece said. “It keeps you out of trouble and you’re always seeing new things. It’s been a good experience. I’m just making my way right now.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.