Kassie Boone: First female FMX rider to compete at Stampede's Monster Energy Compound

Freestyle motocross rider Kassie Boone has been defying the odds — and gravity — since her dad first put her on a motorbike at the age of five. 

And now, she's making history as the first female FMX rider to compete at the Stampede's Monster Energy Compound. 

Speaking on the Homestretch on Thursday, Boone says it's been a lifelong dream of hers to compete alongside guys she looks up to in the sport. 

"It's kind of mind blowing, to be honest," said the native of Belmont, Ont.

The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. 

Q: Have the others been welcoming to you?

A: Oh, absolutely amazing. It's awesome being a girl coming in because the guys don't have that tentative nature toward me. They have that 'I want to help you. I want to teach you,' attitude. They just all want to make me better and see the best for me, and I respect that a lot.

Q: You're also one of the few women who competes in big air freestyle motocross, is that right? 

A: I'm one of two in the world that do what we do.

Q: And what do you do exactly in that particular discipline?

A: There's only two women in the world that will jump 75 feet and perform Superman feet grabs, heel clickers, switch blades and there is a big list of tricks and just two of us in the world right now.

Q: Do you face any particular challenges that maybe the men don't?

A: I have a mindset where I'm so driven to learn and I'm on the path where I just I'm focused on myself and learning that I don't really let any outside negativity bother me — or at least I don't hear about it because I'm so focused on learning and getting better. And I want it to be honest. I want to be as good as these guys.

Q: It runs in your family, right? You say you started at the age of five, is that because you have an older brother who had a bike?

A: I did, and my dad was a racer who they called Crazy Legs Boone. He was always riding his bike and his legs were always coming off the bike. He just had that that bike skill that I was fortunate enough to get, along with growing up with a brother two years older than me. He was always out there taking his hands off and his feet off. And every time he did that I would want to do the exact same thing. So I know I owe a lot of my abilities to my dad and my brother, for sure.

Q: How long can you maintain a career like this, it sounds somewhat dangerous​​?

A: It is very dangerous. I mean the point of this whole game is get through it and be healthy and go as long as you can. There are guys still performing shows and doing back flips in their early 50s. So as long as I can stay healthy and motivated, I believe I can do it for the next 15 years.

Q: Have you ever been hurt in practice or during a performance?

A: Absolutely. Like I said, I grew up racing, so I have had the broken collarbone and the broken shoulders. The worst one is I lacerated my intestine. But I learn from them. I don't think of them as negative. If anything, I think of them as kind of gross. You learn more by making mistakes. I would never take back any of my injuries. It definitely made me the rider I am today.