Chad Kagy lives and breathes bikes. This pro biker who is setting examples for aspiring bikers everywhere will be back in Shanghai for the KIA X Games Asia 2008 to defend his BMX Vert title. Here Kagy talks about bikes, Olympics and his horrific injury count.

QN: It would seem that the sports are in their infancy over here in Asia with not many athletes able to turn pro. What is the standard like for Asian and Chinese athletes that you compete against? Are they improving and which Asian countries have the best athletes in your respective events?

Chad Kagy: The athletes coming out of Asia right now have the potential to be pro and compete with the top level athletes who compete in the U.S.A. X Games. I have been a professional for 11 years now and it's taken me a long time to get to where I'm at. If the Asian riders put in the time with the right facilities like the SMP park, they will be battling for a spot on the podium soon.

QN: Is skateboarding or BMX more popular in Asia?

Chad Kagy: I'm not really sure of the facts but it seems like BMX is more popular, there are bikes everywhere.

QN: How long have you both been practicing and competing in your respective sports? What are your respective ages? When did you turn pro?

Chad Kagy: I have been riding a bike almost my whole life, since I was 4 years old. I started to compete when I was just 8 years old. I started to ride ramps when I was about 12 years of age and then turned professional in freestyle BMX riding when I was 17 years old in 1997.

QN: The Winter Olympics has seen sports such as snowboarding included, with the Beijing Olympics just around the corner, and given the immense popularity of BMX and skateboarding do you think you might one day be competing for gold medals?

Chad Kagy: Yes, I think BMX freestyle will be in the Olympics in the near future. I'm hoping sooner than later so that I may have a chance to compete for the Olympic gold. There are rumors of BMX and Skateboarding being in the Olympics very soon but nothing official has been stated, let's hope for 2012 in London since we're not in Beijing this year to compete for the gold.

QN: Both BMX and Skateboarding looks like it would take a lot of courage to perfect and learn new tricks. Do you get many injuries, what are some of your worst injuries?

Chad Kagy: It takes a lot of determination and courage to overcome your fears to be able to push yourself past your own limits to learn new tricks all the time. It's one of the greatest aspects of our sports, the ability to learn, change and evolve on a regular basis. The feeling I get when I finally pull a new trick is what makes the trick worth the risk. I'm always dealing with an injury of some kind, usually something minor like a cut or bruise. Occasionally I get broken bones and concussions but that doesn't happen very often. Over the span of my bike riding career I have a large list of surgeries and injuries but since I've been riding my whole life they are spread out by a few years at times. I've lost count of the minor broken bones like ribs, toes and fingers. I knocked out my teeth twice, once when I was 10 and again when I was 19. I've had some concussions, helmets help and I always wear one.

QN: How often do you train?

Chad Kagy: When I'm home I like to work out in a gym four or five days per week to keep my body maintained and strong. I'm also riding my bike about five days per week as well. Most of that riding is done at Camp Woodward so I can ride the best I can since I have some of the best facilities to practice on.

Who: Chad Michael Kagy
Where: Catch him at the KIA X Games Asia in KIC Jiangwan Sports Centre, Shanghai
When: April 30 – May 3 2008
Types of injuries: Broken neck - C-5 & C-6 are now held together by two plates and four screws; Seven knee - minor clean up of tissues, broken knee cap, and two ACL's; Two ankle - bone spurs in both ankles that limited my movement and were painful; Right shoulder - re-constructed rotator cuff; Left collarbone - shattered to a lot of pieces now held together with a plate and seven screws.