When Kyler Godwin isn’t on his dirt bike — whether it be winning races, practicing for exhilarating jumps that make riding a roller coaster look boring, or working on broken bikes, he’s doing tricks on his scooter or shooting basketball.

Godwin, who rides dirt bikes in the Southern Enduro Racing Association and runs in the Grand National Cross County series, is described by his parents as a hard worker, who has his sights set high.

At three years old, he started riding and he started racing when he four.

“He just likes to ride,” his dad Jason Godwin said. “We bought a little motorcycle and he hasn’t slacked up since.”

Over the years, he has won many events and has jumped from class to class in his progression in racing.

“It is fun to ride. [The bike] has a lot of power,” Kyler said, joking that it never gets old to ride. “I love taking on the jumps.”

Now, as an eighth grader at Morgan Academy, Godwin rides every time he gets a chance.

During the week, most of his time is spent at school or doing homework, limiting his time to practice.

“We get to practice some,” Jason said. “We try to ride two or three times a week.”

Many of the riders Godwin races against on a regular basis are home schooled, giving them extra time to practice during the day, but he makes up for it by riding every time he gets free time.

Kyler said he used to cry when he finished second, because his will to win is so high. He takes on high jumps and high speeds like they are a walk in the park, just another part of his routine.

“He is as competitive as they come,” family friend Kyser Smith said. “He hates to lose.”

He was leading the points in the GNCC Super Mini series this year before he fell into an empty swimming pool in Kentucky and broke his arm, forcing him to miss a couple of races.

Now, he sits ninth in points, but hopes with a couple of good races he can move back up through the standings.

This year he has already been to races in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky.

His next race is in New York, with future races potentially in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio.

He’s also raced in the MX Sports series, which features 41 of the best riders from around the country and fared well.

His goal is to continue rising up the classes in the GNCC series to eventually get to the top class, XC1 Pro Bikes.

Until then, he will keep racing through trees and taking on big jumps, if he can avoid empty swimming pools.