Donny Robinson
Encyclopedia
Donald Robinson is an American professional "New/Current School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. His moniker is "dR", his initials. The use of the lowercase "d" for his given name is perhaps related to his relatively diminutive physical size. A past nickname, "Scrawny", was definitely linked to his small stature, since even when very young he was the smallest child in his age group. It was given to him by Bruce Minton. Like BMX predecessors Mike Miranda
and Eric Rupe
, Robinson is a devout Christian.
On June 25, 2008, Robinson was chosen by Mike King, team coach of the 2008 USA BMX Olympic Team, to represent the USA along with teammates Jill Kintner
, Mike Day
, and Kyle Bennett
in BMX racing competition at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. His Olympic dream was realized at least in part when he came in third at the Summer Olympics winning a Bronze Medal executing a maneuver that saw Sifiso Nhlapo take out nearly half the field. Since it was the sport's debut and the men's final was run after the women's, he became the third American and the sixth person overall to win an Olympic Medal in BMX Racing. Jill Kintner
won the Bronze medal
; Mike Day
won the Silver medal
. Kyle Bennett
finished sixth in his semi-final and as a result did not qualify for the finals.
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
USA Cycling
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale
(UCI)*
USA Cycling
International Olympic Committee
(IOC)
Independent Pro Series Championships and Invitational Races
choir. He went on "tour" with his now-wife performing at schools and fairgrounds.
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
Twenty BMX:
Moto Mag:
BMX World:
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA membership publication under three names):
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
racer whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. His moniker is "dR", his initials. The use of the lowercase "d" for his given name is perhaps related to his relatively diminutive physical size. A past nickname, "Scrawny", was definitely linked to his small stature, since even when very young he was the smallest child in his age group. It was given to him by Bruce Minton. Like BMX predecessors Mike Miranda
Mike Miranda (BMX rider)
Michael Felty formerly Miguel Juan Miranda is a former American "Old School" professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1981-1986. His previous surname which he is still widely and most familiarly known by, "Miranda", was his stepfather's name...
and Eric Rupe
Eric Rupe
Eric Fitzgerald Rupe is an "Old School" American professional bicycle motocross racer. His prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1990....
, Robinson is a devout Christian.
On June 25, 2008, Robinson was chosen by Mike King, team coach of the 2008 USA BMX Olympic Team, to represent the USA along with teammates Jill Kintner
Jill Kintner
Jill Kintner is a professional American "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross and professional mountain cross racer whose prime competitive years were 1995-2002 in BMX; 2004–present in mountain cross...
, Mike Day
Mike Day
Micheal Day is a professional American "Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 2002–Present. His nickname is a play on a common phrase...
, and Kyle Bennett
Kyle Bennett
Kyle Bennett is an American professional "New/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer and Dirt Jumper whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. He has the moniker "Butter" for his smooth riding style...
in BMX racing competition at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. His Olympic dream was realized at least in part when he came in third at the Summer Olympics winning a Bronze Medal executing a maneuver that saw Sifiso Nhlapo take out nearly half the field. Since it was the sport's debut and the men's final was run after the women's, he became the third American and the sixth person overall to win an Olympic Medal in BMX Racing. Jill Kintner
Jill Kintner
Jill Kintner is a professional American "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross and professional mountain cross racer whose prime competitive years were 1995-2002 in BMX; 2004–present in mountain cross...
won the Bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
; Mike Day
Mike Day
Micheal Day is a professional American "Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 2002–Present. His nickname is a play on a common phrase...
won the Silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
. Kyle Bennett
Kyle Bennett
Kyle Bennett is an American professional "New/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer and Dirt Jumper whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. He has the moniker "Butter" for his smooth riding style...
finished sixth in his semi-final and as a result did not qualify for the finals.
Racing career milestones
----| Milestone | Event Details |
|---|---|
| Started Racing: | Age five at the Napa Valley BMX track in the summer of 1989 when a friend took him to the track. |
| Sanctioning Body: | American Bicycle Association American Bicycle Association The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA... (ABA) |
| First race bike: | U.S.Boss. |
| First race result: | First place. |
| First win (local): | See "First race result" |
| First sponsor: | USA Wheel Sports 1989. |
| First national win: | |
| Turned Professional: | December 2001 at age 18. |
| First Professional/Junior Men race result: | First Place in a local race at the Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) Abbotsford Indoor BMX Rrack in Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... , on December 8, 2001. |
| First professional win: | See above. |
| First junior men/pro* race result: | See above. |
| First junior men/pro win: | See above. |
| First senior pro/elite men** race result: | |
| First senior pro/elite men win: | In "AA" pro on August 31, 2003, at the American Bicycle Association American Bicycle Association The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA... 's (ABA) Blackjack nationals in Reno, Nevada Reno, Nevada Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area... . |
| Height & weight at height of his career: | Ht:5'5" Wt:150 lbs. |
| Retired: | Still active |
Amateur
- USA Wheel Sports: 1989-1991
- CFC Racing: 1992-December 1994
- Hyper Bicycles: December 1994-Late 1995
- Powerlite Industries: Late 1995-December 2001; Robinson turned pro with this sponsor.
Professional
- Powerlite Industries: Late 1995-December 2001
- Fly Racing/Staats Bicycles: December 2001-December 2002
- Factory Phantom/Avent Cycles/Fly Racing: December 2002-2004
- Avent/Bombshell/Fly Racing: 2004-2005
- Formula Bicycle Company/HP: February 2006-December 2007.
- Hewlett-Packard/AT&T: January 2008-March 23, 2008
- Hyper Bicycles: March 24, 2008-Present
Amateur/Junior Men
National Bicycle League (NBL)- 1996 13 Expert NAG No. 1
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 1993 California District 4 (CA-04) No. 1
- 1994 11 Boys Northern California State Champion
- 1995 12 Expert World Cup Champion
- 1996 13 Expert National Age Group (NAG) No.1
- 1996 13 Expert Grandnational Champion
- 1997 14 Expert NAG No. 1
- 1998 15 Expert Race of Champions (ROC) Champion.
- 1998 15 Expert NAG No. 1
- 1999 16 Expert NAG No. 1
- 1999 16 Cruiser Grandnational Champion
- 2000 17 Expert and 17 Cruiser NAG No. 1
- 2001 18 Expert World Cup Champion
- 2001 18 Expert NAG No. 1
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- None
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
- 2001 Junior Men & Junior Cruiser World Champion
USA Cycling
- None
Professional/Elite Men
National Bicycle LeagueNational Bicycle League
The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...
(NBL)
- 2005 National No.1 Pro Cruiser
- 2006 Elite Men Grand National Champion
- 2006 National No.1 Pro
American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA)
- 2003 Pro Cruiser Grandnational Champion
- 2004 World Cup Pro Time-Trial Champion.
- 2006 National No. 1 Pro Cruiser
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- None (defunct)
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None (defunct. FIAC did not have a strictly professional division during its existence).
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
(UCI)*
- 2006 UCI/NBL North American Champion
- 2006 Supercross World Cup Elite Men's Champion
- 2006 Elite Men's Cruiser World Champion
- 2008 Elite Men Supercross World Cup Champion
- 2009 Elite Men Gold Medal World Champion
- 2009 Elite Men Gold Medal Continental Series Champion
USA Cycling
USA Cycling
USA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, BMX and collegiate racing...
- 2007 Elite Men National No. 1 Pro†
- On June 14, 2008 Robinson came in second at the Olympic trials at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CaliforniaChula Vista, CaliforniaChula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....
. Mike Day won the event with 35 points, winning two of the three runs of motos out of a scheduled four. This race format had seven racers participating in hopes of winning an automatic place on the USA BMX Olympic Team (Bubba HarrisBubba HarrisBurlin Buntster Harris III is an American professional "New/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. Usually goes by the moniker "Bubba", as did his father when he was young.-Racing career milestones:----Started racing: August 7, 1992 on...
, who intended to compete, withdrew after breaking his right ankle in practice the previous Thursday). Robinson's 21 points from winning the second moto placed him in second but mathematically eliminated the possibility of overtaking Day in the winner-take-all format. As a result the scheduled fourth moto was canceled, given concerns about racer safety (no need to endanger Day, given the potential of injury on the track, when other competitors had nothing to gain). However, Robinson was the top-ranked BMXer in the world and did well on the UCI and USA Cycling circuits, making him a much-speculated-upon choice for the fourth spot on the team, which was to be filled at the discretion of the team coach, Mike King. On June 25, 2008, that expectation was realized, and he was selected, joining Jill KintnerJill KintnerJill Kintner is a professional American "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross and professional mountain cross racer whose prime competitive years were 1995-2002 in BMX; 2004–present in mountain cross...
, Mike DayMike DayMicheal Day is a professional American "Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 2002–Present. His nickname is a play on a common phrase...
, and Kyle BennettKyle BennettKyle Bennett is an American professional "New/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer and Dirt Jumper whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. He has the moniker "Butter" for his smooth riding style...
on the USA BMX Olympic Team.
International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC)
- Games of the XXIX Olympiad (2008 Summer Olympics)
- USA BMX Teammates Kyle BennettKyle BennettKyle Bennett is an American professional "New/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer and Dirt Jumper whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. He has the moniker "Butter" for his smooth riding style...
, Mike DayMike DayMicheal Day is a professional American "Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 2002–Present. His nickname is a play on a common phrase...
, Jill KintnerJill KintnerJill Kintner is a professional American "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross and professional mountain cross racer whose prime competitive years were 1995-2002 in BMX; 2004–present in mountain cross...
- Discipline: Men's BMX
- Location: Laoshan BMX FieldLaoshan Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) VenueThe Laoshan Bicycle Moto Cross Venue was one of 9 temporary venues used for the 2008 Summer Olympics. It was located in Laoshan, Shijingshan District, Beijing. The venue was used for the men's and women's BMX racing events.-References:*...
Beijing, China - Number of competitors: 32
- Positions:
- Event Results Wednesday, August 20
- Men's First Seeding Run‡:36.810sec
- Men's Second Seeding Run: 36.868sec
- Seconds behind leader: +1.118sec (24th place)
- Seeding run leader: Mike DayMike DayMicheal Day is a professional American "Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 2002–Present. His nickname is a play on a common phrase...
- Robinson advances to quarter-finals†
- Men's quarter-finals (Overall after three motos Run 1): Third place. Qualifies for semi-finals
- Event Results Thursday, August 21
- Postponed due to rain. Rescheduled.
- Event Results Friday, August 22
- Men's semi-finals (Overall after three motos Run 1*): Third place. Qualifies for finals.
- Semi-final winner (Run 1): Mike Day
- Men's final (Medal Round; one run of Main): Third place, Bronze MedalBronze medalA bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. - Silver MedalSilver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
winner:** Mike Day - Gold MedalGold MedalGold Medal is the sixth studio album by the American hard rock band The Donnas, released in 2004 on Atlantic Records. It was one of the first albums released in the DualDisc format, but was recalled due to a mastering error which resulted in the final track being partially omitted from the CD...
winner:** Māris ŠtrombergsMaris ŠtrombergsMāris Štrombergs is a Latvian professional BMX racer. In the 2008 Summer Olympics he became the first Olympic champion in BMX cycling. Earlier that year he won the 2008 UCI BMX World Championships....
Independent Pro Series Championships and Invitational Races
- 2006 International BMX Championships “Summer Festival”¥ Champion.
BMX product lines
- "dR" Signature Series FLY Racing "Powercurve" Handlebars (2002–2007)
- "dR" Signature Series Avent Complete bicycles (2004 & 2005)
Notable accolades
- In 1996 he was named as one of "The 10 Hottest Amateurs" and future top Pro BMXers by BMX Plus!
- He is a winner of the 2006 RideBMX Number One Rider Award (NORA)
- He won the 2006 BMXer Golden Crank Pro of the Year award.
Significant injuries
- Broke thumb at the 1997 ABA Fall Nationals (Day 1) in late October, 1997. He was laid up for approximately eight weeks.
- Crashed hard hard enough to bruise two ribs and split his helmet apart during his 15 Expert quarter-finals at the 1999 ABA Spring Nationals in Santa Clara, CaliforniaSanta Clara, CaliforniaSanta Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
. - Partially separated ACL in his shoulder early in 2002.
- Dislocated his right wrist and broke his left thumb in April 2002 at the ABA U.S. Nationals in Tulare, CaliforniaTulare, CaliforniaTulare is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 59,278 at the 2010 census.Just eight miles south of Visalia, it is part of the Census Bureau's designation of the Visalia Metropolitan Area. The city is named for the currently dry Tulare Lake, once the largest...
. Surgery was required to fix the ligaments in his wrist. He was laid up for six months. The first race after his return to the sport was the ABA Grandnational on November 30, 2002, in Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
.
Racing traits and habits
- Robinson is aerophobicFear of flyingA fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane , or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also sometimes referred to as aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia or pteromerhanophobia....
. Also his confidence is much greater when he is on the bike than off. He first spoke to his girlfriend when he was on his bike, admitting he never could if he did not have it with him.
Personal life
Robinson wed girlfriend Tiffany Lei Glenn is a ceremony in Napa, Calif., on November 14, 2009. In addition to BMX racing, Robinson has aspirations to be a Broadway theater actor/dancer/singer. He sang in his middle schoolMiddle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
choir. He went on "tour" with his now-wife performing at schools and fairgrounds.
BMX and general press magazine interviews and articles
- "1993 District Number Ones" American BMXer October 1994 Vol.16 Iss.9 pg.51 One of many mini biographes of the ABA district champions of 1993.
- "The Fabulous Five" Snap BMX Magazine May 2001 Vol.8 Iss.5 No.55 pg.63 One of five short articles with five racers including Bubba HarrisBubba HarrisBurlin Buntster Harris III is an American professional "New/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 1999 to the present. Usually goes by the moniker "Bubba", as did his father when he was young.-Racing career milestones:----Started racing: August 7, 1992 on...
, Ian Stoffel, Brandon Nicholls, and Clint Gower. - Donny Robinson" Transworld BMX November 2001 Vol.8 Iss.11 No.61 pg.71 A brief interview about doubling at the 2001 UCI World Championships in Mens Junior 20" and Cruiser.
- "Beijing Bound" The Napa Valley Register September 14, 2007
- "Small man, big plan: American Donny Robinson has eyes on BMX gold" Associated Press, USA Today December 25, 2007.
BMX magazine covers
----Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
- None
BMX Plus!:
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
Twenty BMX:
Moto Mag:
- None
BMX World:
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA membership publication under three names):
External links
- The American Bicycle Association (ABA) Website.
- The National Bicycle League (NBL) Website.
- NBL Profile.
- Martijnscherpen.com Interview.
- Associated Press article printed in USA Today on December 25, 2007: "Small man, big plan: American Donny Robinson has eyes on BMX gold"
- "Beijing Bound" The Napa Valley Register September 14, 2007, newspaper article.