Executive Director

Executive Director & Community Liaison

Henry “Rick” White

I've always seen the BMX industry in a different light than most of my friends, rather than accepting the situation for what it is, I longed to provide more for my community. My service in the U.S. Navy as a Helicopter Aircrewman, Rescue Swimmer, High-Risk training Instructor, Helicopter Mechanic, Lifeguard, Training Coordinator, and Facility Manager have given me valuable insight to managing risk while being to be risky. After Graduating from ASU with a Bachelors in Community Sports Management, I began working at Intel full-time to expand my knowledge in the technical industry, now leading crews through cement transformation at Guardian Garage Floors. My work with the Arizona Parks and Recreation Fellowship exposed me to coordinating vendors for the states largest fireworks display while raising over $10,000 for scholarships and grants in the Parks and Recreation degree field.

I ride BMX as an outlet, as a veteran I recognize the need to be outdoors and the importance of remaining physically active. My goal with Freestyle BMX is to advocate for community driven growth through events, and expansion of parks to facilitate progressive riding to avoid unnecessary injuries. My personal drive is to attract more veterans to exploring rehabilitative therapy through action sports, my journey has helped me re-associate what I believe to be the core trigger of PTSD; adrenaline. Not every veterans journey is the same however I found that my adrenaline was in a heightened state during the majority of events associated with my traumatic experiences. When I ride Freestyle BMX, I'm taking abnormal amounts of risk and pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, this increases my adrenaline and helps me re-associate(if you will), the adrenaline that was experienced with new and positive memories.

Since beginning this journey I have noticed a remarkable difference in my ability to manage stressful situations and a significant reduction in triggered moments.