We first got to work with Jesse Gregory when I recommended her for a shoot the marketing team was doing on the mountain bike side of the brand. I had seen her terrorizing SoCal on a GT downhill bike and with her BMX background, I thought she was perfect for the concept. Jeff Zielinski came back from the shoot with nothing but praise of how nice it was to work with Jesse. That video ended up being one of my favorite non-BMX promos from the brand. Jesse's energy and personality shined bright and that stuck with me. Since then, Jesse has steadily grown as a rider being recognized by her peers when she was crowned The Bloom BMX 2022 Trail Rider of the Year. Don’t get it twisted…while an incredible trail rider, Jesse is an ‘all-terrain-vehicle’ and can rip anything put in front of her. GT kicked the year off with a return to its Southern California roots and I am honored to have a local join the family as we build a new future for the brand and look forward to helping Jesse realize her riding dreams.—Ben Ward