Hard work and dedication: Two words that often come to mind when you speak of a legend in any sport. In the world of motocross, Ryan Dungey is certainly one of those legends. But Dungey’s work ethic isn’t just something that only comes from within, it’s something he grew up around.

Whether Dungey knew it growing up, the culture in the Midwest had a huge impact on the legend that he eventually grew to be. Something like agriculture, while it wasn’t something that affected him day-to-day, it’s part of the fabric that is midwest living. The hard work, dedication and patience that it takes to successfully grow crops, is similar to that of which Dungey showed throughout his career.

The “normal” path to the top of the motocross ranks typically involves being scouted by professional teams from a very young age. The teams then give their full support throughout the young star’s amateur career and have a bike waiting for them when it comes time to step up to the pro ranks. Dungey’s wasn’t that, but that didn’t stop him from getting to the top and cementing his name in the history books.

The “Midwest work ethic” is something that the Dungey’s exercised in a big way on the journey through the amateur ranks as Dungey didn’t begin turning the heads of professional teams until late in his amateur career. One thing is for sure, the dedication it took them to continuously dump thousands of hours and frankly thousands of dollars into chasing the dream of being a champion at the highest level of motocross is remarkable.