All kids have dreams. Whether they want to be a rock star, an actor, a surfer or, yes, a professional mountain biker, there’s always something they have in mind for the future beyond a sensible, stable job at the town hall or with a local insurance company. But for most of us, youthful ambitions tend to fade all too easily as we settle down into the safe, secure lifestyles our parents led before us.

But for some people, that’s just never really on the cards. One such individual is pro downhill mountain bike racer Casey Brown, profiled here by DirtTV in the seventh episode of their excellent ‘Beyond the Bike’ series. Casey enjoyed a wild, barefoot childhood in remotest New Zealand, before pitching up as an adolescent in Revelstoke, British Columbia, on the western edge of the Canadian Rockies.

Her elder brother was the whirlwind adventurer and mountain biking legend Sam Brown, following in the footsteps of their fisherman, logger and reported drug dealer father. Casey idolised her brother and father growing up, and took every opportunity to join them on their adventures, eventually becoming her brother’s equal in her biking abilities.

After Sam was arrested and imprisoned for drug offences, and his subsequent tragic death in custody, Casey resolved to follow the path she had always wanted into professional mountain biking. She’s worked harder than most to get where she is now, and her life story and outlook should be an inspiration to all. This compelling video is Casey’s remarkable story in her own words.