BMX biker spins anti-bullying message
Kevin Robinson, better known as K-Rob, has broken a Guiness World Record as well as his own bones doing BMX stunts.
He has mastered complicated tricks, flipping and twisting in the air on his “little kids' bike.”
He has broken concrete slabs with his own body for fun as a tae kwon do black belt. And he has been bullied.
While sharing his experiences of living dangerously with the students at Rochester Memorial School on Thursday, K-Rob not only showed the kids tricks on his bike but also spoke about how to overcome bullying and achieve your dreams.
A native of Rhode Island, K-Rob said as a teenager there was one guy at his school who intimidated him. Years later while competing in the Gravity Games in Providence, he met the guy again. The man asked him for a special pass to the Gravity Games, and Robinson gave him one.
“I don't want him to remember me for doing something mean,” he told the kids. “You've got to be the one who makes the difference.”
Robinson encouraged the students to stand up against bullying by not giving bullies an audience and by sticking with those who are on the receiving end of bullying.
“We all have to work together as a team,” he said.
The “TRICK” to doing that is to remember a five-letter acronym, said K-Rob: teamwork, respect, inspire, confidence and kindness.
He gave examples with each word in the mnemonic, including how to show respect to others. He stressed putting down technological devices, making eye contact and giving a firm handshake.
Robinson also said he has a deep respect for hard work, referencing the jump for which he recently secured a Guiness World Record, but not before falling some 50 times and inflicting himself with several concussions.
“You've got to respect the work it takes,” stressed K-Rob, saying this was a transferable principal for anything the kids want to achieve.
A father of three, Robinson also stressed that kids should be safe and always wear a helmet.
Interspersed with his lessons were actual tricks performed in the gym, including jumping over five teachers on his BMX bike.
