Carving Wood & Air

It's spring 2016, and I'm hanging out at Hellbilly Ranch, a freestyle motocross compound in Rollyview, Alberta. I'm watching a bunch of guys hit ramps and do crazy ass tricks mid air. I'm also meeting Leah Cherrington for the first time, and instantly, she's the most remarkable woman I've ever met. She RIPS hard and can keep up with the guys. Her energy on a bike flows so fluidly, and her motions look effortless.

Fast forward to the following summer, and she's hitting the bigger ramps! I can't even believe it— aside from Vicki Golden, you never see women on ramps, let alone doing tricks mid-air. And here I am, casually hanging out with a maverick to the sport. I'd watch from the sidelines with my camera in hand. My passion for highlighting the successes of women started with motorcycles, and Leah was so fun to photograph.

Here's my interview with Leah, touching on the dirt bike accident that temporarily sidelined her and inspired her to start her own business, motherhood and raising a fierce, independent daughter following in her footsteps.

Please walk me through your dirt bike accident…

It was September of 2018, we were all out having a ride night, and I wasn't into it at all. I should have listened to my gut but didn't— I pushed through it and tried to enjoy the night riding.

The sun was setting, and I turned back to hit the ramp "one more time." I did a seat grab, so my feet were off the bike when I noticed I was coming up short on the landing and couldn't fully get my feet back to the pegs in time. My toes caught the pegs, and on impact, my toes hit my shins— breaking both talus's.

I spent 2-3 months that winter in a wheelchair. That same winter, I learned how to walk and snowboard again. I won a snowboard race straight out of the physio office, haha. No doctor thought that would happen, but I pushed through and kicked ass at recovery! It was such an amazing feeling after having the doctors tell me how bad my breaks are and that I might have to fuse my ankles!

Did you experience any mental shifts during recovery?

Initially, I wanted to sell my bike and never look back (haha), but once recovery started going well, I couldn't wait to get back to myself and push again.

What was it like getting back on a bike?

I had to order special foot pegs with ankle savers, but mentally, I was back. That spring, I was racing and hitting the ramp again. I definitely took a few more precautions, and if my vibe wasn't high, I would listen to my gut and not hit any big jumps! And still, to this day, I live by that motto on my bike.

How has being a mother affected the way you ride?

I want to be myself through motherhood, so I couldn't give up riding— we spent the summer riding and racing when we could, and it felt great! But of course, there's less time on the bike than before motherhood. I have had one good crash since being a mom, which made me think twice. If I ended up back in a wheelchair with my 2-year-old, things would be a bit challenging, haha. I still get at it, but of course, that is in the back of my mind and plays a part in how hard I push the limits!

Will your daughter ride dirt bikes?

She already does her laps with me on my bike and yells at me to go over the big jumps if I go around the jumps, haha. I think she will live for it, and I am all for that!

Is it important for her to start experiencing sports? Like snowboarding?

Watching her already enjoy what I enjoy so much in life makes my heart happy! Snowboarding has been a huge part of my life, and any athlete can agree these sports can act as therapy if you love them and give them your all. I want her to share these passions and have them as her outlet, as I did growing up. I have resolved many hard times over an amazing day snowboarding or a great day pushing myself on my dirt bike.

When/Why did you start woodworking?

I started woodwork in my wheelchair in 2018 during my recovery from my accident. I was bored and had to find some things to keep me busy. We have so much reclaimed wood, and I decided to build a coffee table & end table for my living room. So, I set up a wheelchair-height workbench and got at it! I posted a few pictures, and people loved it! I've always been a creative person, so it helped fill that void when not a lot could sitting in my wheelchair.

When did you start Farm Found Creations?

Once I was upright and walking again, I started taking orders from people and mainly building coffee tables, but it quickly grew into something more. I now build anything from wood bowls for decor, wall art, and endless amounts of various furniture pieces.

What's the premise of Farm Found Creations?

FFC Is a sustainable home decor/furniture venture that builds custom-sized furniture and decor to your needs. I mainly use up-cycled wood from our family farm.

What do you enjoy about working with your hands/tools?

I love the creativity of it. I feel so accomplished taking the wood that was once bound for a burn pile and creating endless amounts of decor/furniture/art that people want in their homes.

I feel honoured to have been there for many of Leah's milestones. I've showcased photos of her in my booth at the motorcycle show and other photo shows I've hosted. I won her a new dirtbike when I got a shot of her wheelieing past a pond. I photographed her daughter when she was brand new. I've had her furniture in my living room. The list keeps going! She's a fantastic friend, an incredible mom and a great role model for women and young girls. Thank you, Leah, for allowing me to share your story and being YOU!

You can visit her Instagram here!

The dirt bike winning photo!