Interview: Kim Savaste on retiring from the sport

It was announced last week that Kim Savaste has decided to retire from racing at a professional level despite being only 21 years old. A former Junior World Champion, Savaste has a lot of talent but injuries have made things very difficult for his career.

We caught up with Savaste to discuss his decision to retire from the sport…

The reasons for decision to retire…

It wasn’t an overnight decision to step away from racing. Honestly I felt something missing for quite a long time actually. Motocross was a lifestyle and not being able to ride nearly as much I wanted indicated straight in the results. That was of course happening because of the chain of injuries. My dream was to reach the very top of this sport and it was not really reachable anymore. I decided to step away from racing completely and give full effort for other things.

I’ve been doing my best to learn new things and find something to be passionate about. At times I was pretty deep in the motocross bubble and didn’t really find myself doing anything other than that. Lately I’ve been studying different subjects and expanding my knowledge.

Motocross is still in the blood… 

Motocross is still close to my heart and I am really happy from the opportunity to be in a key role to develop Otto Racing team. There is great potential with the team, now we are working on a stronger foundation for a sustainable future.

The final decision to really step away from the racing was of course difficult. The passion, energy and dedication to the sport has been so huge by the years. To not see goals coming true is of course tough pill to swallow. After really leaving this behind, I can start fresh and put my passion towards my new projects. Looking forward to the new chapter!

I want to thank all of my sponsors and people who has helped me along the years. Special thanks to my family, Paco Raco, Seppo Laatikainen, Joonas Kuisma and Dino.

Article: Andy McKinstry

Pic: Infront Moto Racing