We had the opportunity to chat with BMX Olympic Silver medalist Mike Day and ask about his 2008 Olympic victory and what he is up to now day-to-day!
Start of Day's Racing BMX
Day recalls feeling free and adventurous when he rode his bike growing up. "My older brother, Dave, always loved racing BMX and I really wanted to try it out for myself," Day says.
His first race was on his ninth birthday, and when he turned eleven, he was consistently competing in amateur races all over the United States. He says he has always loved riding.
In addition to his 2008 Olympic win, Day also won silver in the 2005 Union Cycliste Internationale World Championships in Paris, and bronze at the 2006 UCI championships in Rio de Janeiro.
Winning Silver at the 2008 Olympics
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Day rode his GT Power Series Ultra Box with custom Team USA graphics/ The Laoshan velodrome track was 370m long for the men. Day had a strong start right out of the gate. His unbelievable speed on the bike earned him an impressive silver medal victory.
Along with Day's silver medal, Donny Robinson claimed the bronze and for women's BMX, Jill Kintner secured the bronze. These significant podium places are memorable because this was the first time BMX Race has been included as an Olympic sport.
"I remember that day racing, everything was flowing, everything felt right. It was like everything was going my way that day, that is how I can best describe the feeling," Day felt exhilarated and in-tune with his bike throughout the race.
Looking back on his finish, he was obviously ecstatic to win silver but he does admit that he was going for the gold medal. Striving to finish first is understandable, after months of training and preparation, and feeling so in-tune on the race day.
On his Instagram, he recalls his Olympic experience, "After seeing some posts on Olympic Day it had me reminiscing on some of the best times of my life." He said he misses the butterflies before getting into the gate and that he can't wait to watch the 2021 BMX Olympic races.
Cycling Impact
Racing gave Day something to really pursue and become exceptional at. He loved competing. His son, Grayson, is four and has been loving racing BMX lately. Day's wife, Leigh, calls Grayson "mini Mike." Day says, "Grayson is so into it, and it's amazing to see him so excited to race."
Leigh says on Instagram, "He is learning so much resilience, dedication, and how to have fun even when you don't win racing the bigger kids. He is the happiest on his bike and seeing #day365 round 2 is making my heart so full!" She says she's gone from bike wife to bike mom!
BMX to Mountain Bike
After his success in the 2008 Olympics, Day wanted to return to the Olympics in 2012, but a back injury kept him from racing for a year. "I was well enough to race in the Olympic Trials in 2012, but I do not think I had enough time to completely prepare. I finished second in the Olympic Trials." He decided not to pursue a spot on the 2016 Olympic team. He felt like his body was breaking down from his back injury and he could not train the way that he was used too.
In 2013, Day made the leap from BMX to the mountain bike racing circuit. The disciplines are very different. "BMX races are short and explosive, and mountain bike races are much longer," Day says the difference in the disciplines is refreshing and he has been enjoying learning more about mountain biking. "Essentially, I have had to learn a new way of riding a bike, and it has been a rewarding and fun experience."
He still gets on a bike often and finds joy in riding, and also uses it as a way to stay physically fit.
Life Today
Day has been working and enjoying time with his family. His wife and two twins- Grayson, a boy, and Harper, a girl have brought so much joy into his life. Both Grayson and Harper are very athletic!
He also plans to go back to school and get his civil engineering degree. Day always felt called to pursue a career in civil engineering. "It's the kind of career I envisioned for himself in high school. I have always loved creating and designing." His goal was to become an architect, but racing took over at the time.
Day has been enjoying biking locally and it helps him remember why he started racing in the first place- because he loves riding.
