MANILA, Philippines - To say that a life in showbiz is fast-paced would be an understatement. Stars are always in a hurry to get from one commitment to the next. In that case, you would think that when choosing a hobby Sam Milby would have gone for something peaceful and quiet, like chess, fishing or hiking. But no, he dove headfirst into the high-octane world of motocross riding. And he is loving everything about it. “I’m a speed demon,” he says enthusiastically. “I love the adrenaline rush you get from riding.”
“I needed a hobby,” explains Sam when asked what sparked his interest in motocross. “Something to get into just for the fun of it.” He had always been a sports enthusiast, even when he was still living in the US. He started figure skating when he was just three years old, and got into wrestling when he entered high school at Tippecanoe High School in his hometown of Troy, Ohio. But even as a teenager, he was already interested in motocross. His father, who is also a athletic, encouraged his son’s interest by buying him a bike when he was just 10.
Sam eventually quit figure skating to focus on motocross. That he did so wasn’t surprising, considering the fact that riding is in his blood, so to speak. “My dad and brothers also did motocross racing,” he explains. “When my dad let me try it na-hook na ako agad.” After his dad bought him his first bike, he lived and breathed riding until his bike was stolen. “I had joined four races already when my bike was stolen then I stopped for about 10 years.”
But last year, Sam made friends with some people who ride regularly at the Speed World MX Circuit track. He has been going there since last year to indulge his passion for riding. He loves the sport so much that even his numerous wipeouts haven’t scared him into giving it up. Sam has broken his hand and hit a tree while riding, but he insists he’s careful when he gets on a bike and that his wipeouts just sound a lot worse than they actually are. “Technically I haven’t had that bad a crash to get traumatized,” he grins.
Sam recounts one of his worse wipeouts. “When I fell off, I threw the bike. I was fine when I landed, but then the back tire hit my knee. May problema na ako sa tuhod from the last time I fell, which was in the States pa. I need to get it X-rayed na nga. Anyway, when the back tire hit my knee, that made my knee a lot worse. Something with the joint siguro or a small fracture. It’s not that bad, it’s just sore.”
If there’s one thing he doesn’t like about his current situation, it’s that he’s unable to devote as much time to riding as he’d like, thanks to his jam-packed schedule. When he does have time off, he heads straight to the Speedworld MX Circuit to do some laps. But as much as he loves motocross, he knows there’s a limit as to how far — or how fast, for that matter — he can go. “I still have to be careful since I also have job to take care of.”
As dangerous as this sport is, eventually Sam wants to get into what is known as freestyle riding. “That’s what they call it when riders do stunts like flips and things,” he explains. “Pero siguro mga three or four years pa bago ko marating ang ganung level.”
One thing is clear — when it comes to motocross riding, Sam just can’t get enough.