As a kid growing up in a rural area, I was always tinkering with parts and machinery.

I'm from Minnesota and have always lived there. And my competitive career actually started in the late '90s racing motocross, which then turned into racing snowmobiles professionally. I turned pro in 2003, racing with the best in the world and living my dream as a professional athlete.

Building prosthetics that allow people to get back to the fun activities in life is as rewarding a job as I can imagine. It's just as fulfilling for me as winning at the racetrack.

I bought my first dirt bike when I was 12, and I started racing motocross when I was 15 and started getting pretty successful. Then I started racing snowmobiles at 17 and decided I wanted to focus on that and see if I can make a career at it.

Local economies are suffering as people spend more on fuel and less on consumer goods and travel.

I had a great career. I have no reason to complain. It's the way it goes in nature. You slow down. And I believe I lasted a lot longer than a lot of people.

Whether it's developers or industry veterans on the business side, top talent likes to work together.

My own career reflects a strange dichotomy between the world we've long known and the world that will become.