…Coming around the first turn, Goodwin makes a move after the snowmobile in front of him pushes wide. Goodwin shoots underneath, moving into second place…

Garrett Goodwin has always been in the business of racing.

He started racing snowmobiles on a plot of land in Zion, Ill., when he was 5. His father was a world champion in 1991, and later started Goodwin Performance, a snowmobile business.

As life kept racing, Garrett Goodwin kept racing toward his lifelong goal of winning a gold medal in the X Games. Every winter he raced on a snowmobile; every summer he raced on a dirt bike.

Being around snowmobiles and seeing them progress drove him to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Grand Valley State. He also thought about a career in racing.

“I started getting pretty serious about racing, to a point where a career was a possibility and the forefront for me,” he said.

…The race continues, and Goodwin remains in second place. He wants to push it, but he knows he has to stay patient…

After his first year at GVSU, he went back to dirt bike racing for the summer. In June 2011, Goodwin competed in a race in Lake Mills, Wisc.

After launching from a jump, he came down wrong and was throttled from the bike. The bike landed on top of him, crushing three vertebrae in his lower back, and severely injuring his spinal cord.

Goodwin was airlifted to the hospital at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From there, he found out he was paralyzed from the waist down. He spent two months rehabbing in Chicago before a month of rehab in Baltimore.

Despite all of this, he knew he still wanted to race.

“We started talking about it a little bit in the ICU, talking about what we can do for me and how we can adapt the sled,” he said.

Following the accident, Goodwin took the year off from GVSU. He was still part of the snowmobile racing team back home, attended the races and mentored.

Then, Goodwin and his father put a seat together and attached it to a snowmobile. It wasn’t long before he found an opportunity to race again.

His first race after the accident took place in March 2012 in Lake Geneva, Wisc.

“I woke up that early that morning and was ready to get back into racing,” he said. “The race went well, and the crowd was cheering like crazy. Really exciting moment, just proving that I could get back out there and still do it.”

He finished in third place.

…Patience pays off. Jeff Tweet gets caught up on a jump, Goodwin finds a line and maneuvers into first place heading into lap two of six…

Fast forward to 2013. Goodwin is back at GVSU, and the transition has gone well. He is still in engineering, and has just finished a second seat to attach to his snowmobile.

Then, Goodwin received a call. Joe Duncan was on the line inviting Goodwin to January’s X Games in Aspen, Colo.

For Goodwin, the X Games were amazing. ESPN and ABC were covering the events, the athletes were catered to and made comfortable, and his whole family was there to support him. The SnoCross Adaptive race was just his second race back after the injury.

He left with a bronze medal.

“There was so much excitement and so much support, and also not winning gives you so much drive to keep progressing,” Goodwin said.

…Goodwin is still in first in lap four, but gets caught crooked on a jump. Doug Henry gets right behind him, pushing Goodwin to the brink. The track is rough, both competitors are tired — but the race continues…

In the summer of 2013, Goodwin began creating his third seat. It took a few months, but he was able to finish it up right before the winter holiday season. Then, he was once again invited to compete in the X Games.

This time, he knew what to anticipate.

For Goodwin, it felt like any other race day. The race went well from the focus and competitive standpoints, but he came away in second place, leaving Aspen still itching for a gold medal.

“It was not as emotional as the first year,” he said. “I was satisfied, but I still wanted to keep progressing toward the goal of winning the gold medal.”

…A battle ensues between Goodwin and Henry. In the fourth lap, Henry attempts to make a late pass by cutting inside. Goodwin hits the gas, and the sleds bump. Henry slows almost to a stop following the tap; Goodwin begins to pull away…

Goodwin spent the summer of 2014 working on automotive seating at Faurecia for an internship. Since he had sold his third seat at the 2014 X games, he also spent time developing his fourth model.

Goodwin had been combining his notes over the years in an attempt to create the perfect adaptive seat. His previous models used a shock in the back, which allowed for easy, side-to-side movement to mimic what legs do in controlling the sled. This allows for natural leaning motion and better suspension rate. He also put a roll cage on the sled for protection since he is strapped to the snowmobile. His father, shop members and professors had been helping him create the seats.

As the 2015 X Games approached, Goodwin realized he wouldn’t have the fourth seat ready in time. He would have to use his second seat, but — after a bronze in 2013 and a silver in 2014 — he was ready nonetheless. There was one more spot left on the podium.

“I felt added pressure knowing that I hadn’t won the gold,” he said.

…For the rest of the race, Goodwin holds on in first place. When he finishes the race, the white flag brings a wave of relief. He strikes gold — and his childhood dream is fulfilled.

“Crossing the finish line took a bit to set in, but it felt good,” he said. “Once it did, I felt like I was on top of the world.”