Going Off Course

Connor Fields' Story of Recovery is Right Out of a Hollywood Screenplay

I knew someone who, while furloughed from his job, rode his bike all the way across America from Portland, OR to Portland, ME. When he came back to Vegas, we had a nice dinner party at his house. At one point and I asked what he was thinking. “Well,” he said, “I kinda want to do it again already.”

I find it funny that the same sentiment was echoed by Olympian Connor Fields after he returned home as the first American to win a gold medal in BMX racing. Fields traded the many rites of passage for an American teenager to train, compete and win at the sport. Yet even after achieving what most would consider the apotheosis of this endeavor, he wanted to get back into it right away.

During the 2022 Tokyo Olympics, Fields suffered an accident that required over a year of physical rehabilitation to fully recover from. It’s right out of a Hollywood screenplay, and if this were a Darren Aronofsky film, at this point he’d get back in the fold despite the pleas of all those around him.

But in his interview with Vegas All In, Fields displays an exceptional degree of wisdom and maturity, especially considering he was only 23 years old when he won the gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics. “[I was] there to win. I’m not there to compete. I’m not there to enjoy representing Team USA.” It may seem contradictory, but there is insight to be found in that commentary. If the motivation to pursue your passion is extrinsic, like fortune or fame, then you can become listless or reckless once it’s in your hands.

That makes Fields’ transition from racing to hosting Outdoor Nevada incredibly felicitous. Here is a Fields who is taking a more leisurely pace, appreciating the many adventures and diversions found in the Silver State. When you see his enthusiasm while meeting new people and learning about nature and history, it feels like his victory lap. And yes, he still mountain bikes on the show whenever he gets the chance.