In 2014, FMF KTM’s factory off-roader Charlie Mullins was battling for the points lead in both the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series and the Kenda National Enduro Series. But one day, while logging motos at the JGRMX motocross track in North Carolina, his bike malfunctioned over a big jump, and he crashed hard. He suffered from two badly broken wrists, and doctors told him they were career-ending injuries.
But Mullins, who is the first rider to ever become a champion of both the GNCCs and the National Enduro Series, soldiered on, believing that with enough therapy and training he could win again. He even headed down to the Baker’s Factory in Florida and worked with Aldon Baker as part of his comeback. After missing the entire 2015 season, he returned to the track this year, but quickly realized no matter how hard he worked, the wrists weren’t going to let him race again.
Last week Mullins, who just turned 30, announced his retirement. This week we called him for more info. The following interview is a good read even if you don’t follow the off-road scene—hanging it up due to injury is a situation that many athletes face, and it’s never an easy decision.
Racer X: I know you were hurt for the last two years, but I still didn’t see this coming. What changed so quickly?
Charlie Mullins: Yeah, it was building. Basically, everything was pretty good until I started racing every weekend. I was into a five-week grind of racing every weekend between GNCCs and National Enduros, plus riding during the week, and basically my wrists couldn’t keep up. It was just getting to the point where riding during the week wasn’t even fun because it hurt. I just tried to keep it to myself and keeping working, but it got to the point where I went to my doctor, and he said the fuse was coming apart. So in that five-week window, a lot was already changing. And I was dealing with so many other problems—grip strength, range of motion—it just really came down to safety. I just couldn’t hang on to a 450 safely in such long races. It wasn’t worth risking further injury.
When you went to the doctor last week and found out you had more problems that was probably a shock. But it sounds like the way things had been going the last few weeks, maybe you saw it coming?
I actually didn’t. I went to the doctor after the last GNCC to get a cortisone shot, and I was telling him my issues, and he X-rayed them both. Structurally the left one, it looks okay but for some reason it’s giving me a lot of pain. I basically have zero degree of extension in my left wrist; it doesn’t bend back at all. On downhills, my wrist just wanted to roll off the handlebars. My right wrist, with the throttle, it was hard to ride fast. I had my wrist fused but the fusion was coming undone. I’m just not meant to ride a dirt bike in my current condition. Regular life, I’m fine, but five weeks of riding and racing and training wasn’t working out.
So even though the five weeks were rough, you were still thinking this would work out?
Well, I was having some doubts. A lot of people asked why wouldn’t I just race the Enduros? They have rest time built in and the tracks don’t get as rough as a GNCC. The last Enduro I actually got on the podium, which surprised me. But I was in pain. It’s really hard to describe what it’s like to ride with two wrists with an excruciating amount of pain in both of them. You can only take so much. At the Enduros, you get that rest time at the reset, but those breaks are just enough time for the wrists to flare up and start hurting. I personally don’t think my right wrist was going to hold up for the whole year—so this was the right decision. This was the hardest decision, too.
I don’t think anyone is blaming you for realizing it’s not going to work, but I know it had to be hard on you because you wanted it to work so badly. You could have pulled the plug on this a long time ago, but you still have the desire to race!
That’s the hardest part for me, not being able to go out on my own terms. I still have the desire to race; I still want to win races, but I can’t, and that’s the hardest thing for me at this point. The first week when I decided to call it quits, and I had gone over it with KTM and everyone on the team, it was almost a relief and a weight off of my shoulders. But now that some time has passed, it’s like I’m in a second stage of mourning or grief. It’s just setting in that my racing is done, and I’ll never win a race again. That just makes me sad. But time will heal. I can look back and be proud of my accomplishments. And, I’ll still be able to live a normal life. Eventually I’ll be able to ride a dirt bike a little bit recreationally, so that’s a win for me, in a sense. So it’s a sad moment right now, but life goes on and there’s more to life than dirt bikes.
"I have no bitterness toward the sport. This situation sucks so bad, but I’m not a sour grapes kind of guy. I don’t feel sorry for myself one bit..."
I was talking to some KTM guys at the supercross this weekend, and they told me right after you retired, you were out there still training!
Yeah, it’s a part of me. I can’t sit still. I’ve been in this program the last ten years, and I’d say the last five years I’ve gotten really into training. It’s just fun to me—road bike, swimming, running, gym work. I’ll still continue doing that; I’m into triathlons and mountain bike races. I guess that will help me get through not being able to race a dirt bike.
Sad that it’s over, but I’m sure you’re also reflecting on everything you accomplished, which is more than most in off-road ever expect. It’s not easy to make it to the factory level and make a good living in this sport.
Oh yeah, I remember going to the races as a kid, and I didn’t even dream of being a full-time racer until the very end of my amateur years. Up until then I was just having fun being with my family on the weekends, and it became a lot bigger than what I expected it to be. I was able to win a few championships and a lot of races. I was able to ride for Team USA at the ISDE and experience the world riding dirt bikes. A lot of good came out of racing—I met my wife because of the GNCCs. There’s a whole lot of good I got out of this so I have to be happy about that.
When a racer retires the question everyone has in the background is what will he do to make a living? But a lot of people might not know that your father-in-law is John Ayers, who owns MotoTees and Gear Designs, which is a big part of this industry. So, I supposed you could have had a job waiting for you as soon as you stopped racing—but every time I talked to you during the last two years, it seemed like you were just thinking as a racer, and not really talking about getting a real job yet.
Well, it definitely was discussed but kind of in the background. When I got hurt, like, the very first doctor I saw said this was a career-ending injury. Eventually I went to a specialist in Charlotte and they said the same thing. I just believed that wasn’t the case, though. I don’t know, I just thought I could do it. So it was talked about a little bit but I always thought I could come back and race again. I am lucky that my father-in-law has a good business, though, just in case things didn’t work out. We talked about some plans and he’s been on it and he’s prepared for this day. But I also have some options with KTM. In talking to [factory off-road team manager] Antti [Kallonen] there might be some plans for where I could fit in. So I guess for me I’m just feeling out what direction I want to go in life. Thankfully I have my father-in-law’s company and I also have KTM, so thankfully I do have some options. I just need to see what I want to do and what works best for my family. None of those things are easy decisions though.
Right, and let’s be honest, none of the options are probably as fun as racing a dirt bike!
[Laughs] Yeah, someone just told me racing a dirt bike is the easiest money you’ll ever make.
And KTM sure had your back through all of this.
Oh yeah. Just to start from the beginning, these past two years my situation has been up and down and they’ve believed in me. I signed a three-year deal and I got hurt in the first of the three years. There are injury clauses in the contract and stuff, but they had my back the whole time. I’m so thankful for that. When I told Antti, he was surprised and caught off guard, but they were good and they supported my decision, even J.E.B [Jon-Erik Burleson, KTM North America president]. They’re going to pay me through the end of my contract, which is really great of them.
Can you go to races right now or are you too bummed?
I actually went to the GNCC in South Carolina over the weekend. I have no bitterness toward the sport. This situation sucks so bad, but I’m not a sour grapes kind of guy. I don’t feel sorry for myself one bit, and the GNCCs are kind of like home to me. It’s a comfortable feeling being there, and I grew up at those races. It’s a total family atmosphere. I mean, I remember starting going to the races with my dad and my cousins, I remember sleeping in a van at the race, just having really humble roots. I think that actually kept me humble while I was racing and it’s helped me appreciate what I do have. Then I started my own family through the GNCCs and I enjoy going to them with my two boys. I guess that’s the circle of life. I enjoy going to the GNCCs and I want my family to grow up and experience it just like I did.