Coach Ken and Laura Slavin at the 2016 Windham Pro XCT

Coach Ken and Laura Slavin at the 2016 Windham Pro XCT

I got Laura her first bike – a Trek flatbar road bike – in 2013 and when she took to commuting hard to work she waxed lyrical over her new MPH and her fastest times, delirious in a new world. I smiled because I did the exact same thing to my friends when I began riding a road bike to work 14 years prior.

That first day, out of the parking lot she put her left foot down around a left-hand turn and almost stubbed her pedal into the ground and I had doubts if she was going to topple over as she coasted around the lot.

I do not doubt anyone, however. If you think you cannot do something, then you cannot do it. If you think you can do something, then you can do it. I had zero doubt that Slavin was going to become a professional MTBer. After she ascended the racing categories and continued to win, we created a Pro Factory team, we don’t need to go elsewhere, we create our own professional athletes in-house, a pro factory, and she and Nick had stellar years, both winning the NJ State MTB Championships and solidifying their status as the #1 pro MTBers in the state.

When you have a vision and you see that vision come true, it really only shows you that anything can happen, you can do it all. If you’re not working, then that’s where doubt comes in. Doubt is only removed by action. The reality is quite simple: believe in your ability, believe in your dreams, believe in your desire, and then just show up. Show up every single day. This is a successful recipe that cannot be stopped.

Riding for the KTM Factory Team is a huge honor and huge responsibility, but most importantly it is a huge opportunity. The path is an uphill one, and that is what we want – real champions thrive in adversity. Be grateful with everything you have and you will be successful in everything you do. Be passionate. Be optimistic. Be. #fearless

Kenneth Lundgren

Coach & athlete