Moto Moms Ep 5 | Ft. Heather Keefer 1

Behind each of the professional Supercross racers we watch every week is a story. We've heard many of these stories from their mouths. After going to a local race and seeing a moto mom helping her daughter at the gate and working on the bike, I had the idea for this feature. Moms play a huge role in our lives growing up, but we don't normally think of them as playing a huge role in our racing. But they obviously do. Whether it's emotional support, making food for the track, or going to the track and holding a stopwatch and putting fuel in the bike, moms play their role. For this fifth edition, I talked to Heather Keefer, mom to Aden Keefer and wife to professional test rider, Kris Keefer.

For the full interview, check out the Vital MX podcast right here. If you're interested in the condensed written version, scroll down just a bit further.

Vital MX: Let's get this thing rolling, as usual, by getting your background. Where did you grow up?

Heather: I was born in Greeley, Colorado, and we moved to Hesperia, California, when I was seven years old. I was not pumped about it. I didn't want to leave my family. I'm an only child, and I was my grandparents' pride and joy, so I was bummed to move to the high desert.

Vital MX: I would imagine that's a big change going from Colorado to the high desert.

Heather: Oh, a big change. I went from beautiful mountains and green to 50 shades of brown and windy.

Vital MX: Growing up, you did some competitive ice skating. Were you a competitive person?

Heather: I'm going to correct you. I did competitive roller skating. It's the same thing as ice skating but on roller skates. I was competitive, but not super competitive. I didn't have that fire or that drive. I just enjoyed it.

Vital MX: How many years did you do that?

Heather: Oh, my gosh. I did it until I turned 19. So, half of my life now that I'm 40.

Vital MX: Before you met your husband, Kris Keefer, what was your motocross knowledge? Did you know anything about the sport?

Heather: I knew absolutely nothing. I knew what color each dirt bike was, but I knew nothing about anything.

Vital MX: So, you meet Kris, start dating, and he's all in on the sport. At some point, you have to learn a bit and get involved. What were your initial thoughts on the sport?

Heather: I was kind of taken aback by it. He started teaching me the ways (Of the Force?). From the beginning of our relationship, he said, "This is what I do. This is my passion. You either get on the train or get off the train." So, I hopped aboard, and here we are.

Vital MX: Once you hop aboard the train and you start going to the races, do you start finding some enjoyment in it? 

Heather: Absolutely. I vividly remember we had gone to a friend's house, and he had a little pit bike track in his backyard. It was one of my husband's best friends at the time. He comes riding out, and he's popping a wheelie, and I thought, "Oh, this is kind of hot. I can get down with this. We're here. Let's do this." So, I've found enjoyment in watching him race. It's very exciting to watch him do something he is passionate about, loves, and is good at. I like to be a part of that.

Vital MX: Once you become pregnant with Aden, was there a discussion of, "I hope my kid rides. I want him to ride?" 

Heather: When I found out I was pregnant, we never really talked about Aden riding. Kris always had this, "If he wants to ride, cool. If he doesn't, cool." He never pushed Aden to ride his dirt bike. We got him an Oset, and he loved it. He got into trials, and we built a trials course in the backyard with some rocks and some logs and a ramp, and Aden was all about that. We would go to the track, and Kris would ask, "Do you want to bring your bike and ride?" He'd say, "Nah." He just never really cared about it. He played football for four years. He was more interested in playing in the dirt at the track, making little dirt bike tracks with his toys, and riding his dirt scooter than getting on his bike and actually going out and moto'ing.

Vital MX: I believe around Covid, he was homeschooling, and he started going to the track more with Kris. Is that when it really became more serious for him?

Heather: Yes. When Covid hit, and school was, I don't want to say, on the back burner, but everyone was sent home, and they're doing Zooms and all that nonsense. That's when it really took off for him. Then it was, "Let's go race Loretta's (Loretta Lynn's Amateur Nationals)." Aden had tried to qualify for Loretta's in 2017, and he made it to the regional but didn't qualify. He just really didn't care. What's funny is I have a video of Aden when he was 4 or 5 years old, and he's in the gym, and he's on the rower, and I asked, "What are you doing?" He said, "I'm training." I'm like, "Training for what?" He says, "Loretta's." I didn't even know what Loretta's was. He said, "Ryder D (Ryder Difrancesco), I'm coming for you, mister." I'm laughing because this is cute. I didn't even know who Ryder D was at the time. He would watch videos on his phone of Ryder when he was little and other kids moto'ing, but he never cared about going and racing, which was really weird to me. 

Vital MX: That's probably a good thing. He didn't get burnt out. He had other passions and hobbies and decided on his own, "Okay, now I am into this."

Heather: Absolutely. It's funny because the other day, we were at the track, and we were watching him race. I said, "He came from us. That's pretty crazy." To see his growth over the past couple of years. He hasn't won a lot, he won a few things, but he's not the top kid in his class. To see him improve and have goals is exciting to me.

Vital MX: Once Aden starts taking it more seriously, how does that change things for you? The threat of injuries becomes greater. The amount of money you have to spend becomes greater.

Heather: As he gets older and he progresses, it gets a bit more heightened every day. I'm more stressed now than I was when he first started riding. He's on a bigger bike, going faster, doing bigger things, and it's very scary. I also remember that this is what he wants to do and what he loves, and I will support him 100%. If he came to us tomorrow and said, "I don't want to do this anymore," we'd be like, "Okay, cool. What's your next plan then?" I want him to succeed. I know that he has the capability. It's whether he wants to continue to do that or not.

Vital MX: Is the level of concern, nerves, etc, any different when Kris is riding versus Aden?

Heather: It's slightly different between the two of them. With Kris, I know he's not going out on the track during a practice day and hanging it out there. I know that he's going to ride smart and be safe. I'm not saying that Aden doesn't ride smart and safe, but let's face it, he's 17, and these kids go out there, and they think they need to dick measure. So, it does scare me a bit, but I know that Aden won't do anything stupid to risk his life or anyone else out there. Kris has taught him track etiquette and what to do and not do. So I don't stress a lot. If I'm at work, I don't think about it until they text me, and then I'm like, "Okay, good. They're safe. They're on their way home." Aden has had some crashes, and I have not been there for them. Kris will call me, saying, "I think Aden broke his hand today." I'm like, "Wait, what?" "Yeah, you might need to come home and take him to the doctor." I don't panic. I wasn't there to see it, and it's better that way because I'd probably lose my mind if I was there and saw it.

Vital MX: What about when they're successful? If they both win on a given race day, what's the reaction? Kris always says, "She cares more about how Aden does. Kris isn't important." What's the difference between a proud mom and a proud wife?

Heather: I'm proud of both of them. It doesn't matter. When Kris races, I know that he's going to win. When he lines up, he's in the +40 class, and unless Brownie (Mike Brown) is there, I'm not too concerned. If Brownie's there, it's like, "Well, shit." With Aden, I know he has a stacked class. For him to go out and win against other kids that are really good riders like himself, it's more exciting.

Vital MX: Something that I've noticed after having the pleasure of hanging out at your house and going to the track with your family is how involved you have become after all these years. From washing the gear, packing the food, to running the stopwatch for the boys. You treat me and all the boys as if we're family. Talk about what that role means to you.

Heather: When people come to our house, I want them to feel they're a part of the family. I want them to feel welcome, and it's an inviting environment, and they can just be one of us. I like to take care of people. So, I treat everyone the same way that I treat Kris and Aden. If it's making dinner for everyone or, "Do you need some gear washed?", I have no problem doing that. I have that motherly instinct, and I like to take care of people.

Vital MX: I want to talk about the nickname you were given a couple of years ago when Aden did start to take this more seriously. ANH, for Amateur National Heather. I think ANH has gone away a bit but talk about how that came to be.

Heather: Oh, my gosh. I'm kind of embarrassed by it now. I look back, and I wish I didn't act like that. I went to Loretta's in 2017 with just Kris, and at that time, I still didn't really understand all the Loretta's hype. When we went back with Aden, I was more into it. Of course, it's nerve-wracking, regardless of if it's Aden or Kris on that 40-man gate at Loretta's when it drops. That first turn is crazy, and shit can go sideways really quickly. When Aden went out to race, I was a nervous wreck, and I had some seltzers, and I think I drank three of them during his 15-minute moto. I'm really ashamed to say that now because I was 'that mom' at the track. I try not to be 'that mom' anymore and act more reserved, cool, calm, and collected. I mean, I will scream at Aden, and he can hear me on the track. He's told me before, "Mom, I was on the other side of the track, and I could hear you screaming." I say, "Good. I'm glad you could hear me."

Vital MX: He'll appreciate that in ten years.

Heather: I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. It might be more of an embarrassment, like, "That's my mom. I'm going to put my head down and not look at her right now."

Vital MX: Right now, yes, but in 10-15 years, he'll get it. He'll appreciate that. You were one of the parents that was there and so supportive. I want to talk about Kris's popularity, which rolls downhill to Aden. Kris is a very popular public figure in our industry who gets lots of emails, and industry people respect him. How do you feel about his popularity?

Heather: I like it. It's nice for people to say, "We listened to your podcast, and we feel like we know you." It gives a warm feeling, and it's inviting. I appreciate it so much because I know that my husband does a lot, works his ass off, and always tries to help people. I see Aden starting to follow in his footsteps, and that's nice to see because it shows that he's maturing and growing up, and he understands what his dad does. He respects it, and it's just nice.

Vital MX: I want to jump into parenting. Kris has his own podcast, and as a family, you do Coffee with the Keefers, the Road to Loretta's, or the Road to Mammoth, where Aden gets on with Kris and yourself. You have discussed how you feel about parenting and how you're teaching him lessons through moto. I think you guys are doing a wonderful job in an old-school 80s type of parenting. You can be hard on him, but he's learning to be respectful and courteous. I like it.

Heather: Yeah, Kris and I have always taught him from a younger age that you always shake hands, you look a person in the eye, you be respectful, talk to them, and be approachable. He's picked up on that a lot. I mean, we have had some issues in the past where he's been a little turd, but I mean, he is a teenager. We always tell him when you go out, you are representing our family, you're representing your dad's business, and you have a name to hold up. People will see that. Some of these kids are little turds, and they act like buttheads. Don't get me wrong, Aden can be a shithead at times. Kris and I call him on it all the time, but we teach him to be a good person, treat others with respect, and treat others as you wish to be treated. You're not owed anything. Don't look for compliments when you're out doing something. Just live your life and be a good person. He's a good kid. I don't want to say that just because he's my kid, but he is a good kid. He's very genuine when it comes to other people, and he's respectful. It's just nice to see that in him and know that you're instilling some good values in your kid as he's growing up. I think some kids these days don't have good parenting. They don't have good values. They think that they're owed everything in life. They're spoiled. I mean, Aden is very spoiled, but he also gets checked a lot. Kris has been working with him to make his own brand so that he can do his own thing. He's like, "I like to help you. You get a lot of things because of me." I'm sure that a lot of people don't like that, but Aden does work for a lot of his stuff. I feel he deserves it. Kris can't wait to go to the track, and people say, "Oh, look, there's Aden Keefer's dad" instead of, "Hey, there's Kris Keefer's son." He can't wait for the roles to flip, and I hope that someday that will happen. Honestly, Jamie, at the end of the day, whether he makes it or not, as long as he's a good person, that's what Kris and I care about.

Vital MX: With Kris trying to qualify for Nationals and Aden attempting to do Loretta's, those are big-time life events. There are a lot of lessons within those attempts. What do you take away from it as a mom and a wife watching them go after these goals?

Heather: Well, with Kris, he tried the Nationals a few years ago, and it wasn't good. He wanted to show Aden, "Look, whether you're successful or not, you don't give up, and you keep trying." We tried it again this year, and things didn't go his way again, but he's not giving up. We're currently here in Oklahoma, training for Loretta's. Now, whether Kris goes and does another national or not, I'm not really sure what his plans are. I think there might be one more in the books, but it just depends on everything else that's going on. He wants to show Aden that no matter what happens, you work hard and you don't give up. If things go badly, you keep working and do not let yourself down.

Vital MX: What are you most proud of with Aden?

Heather: I'm proud of how he has matured, and he's coming into his own as I'm watching him grow up. He is actually going to do summer school and graduate. Hopefully, by the time we go to Loretta's. I'm proud of him for that. He's going to be an early graduate, which will be nice. I won't have to be on him to do his schoolwork next year. Also, his setting goals and watching him achieve his goals.That's what I'm proud of.

Vital MX: What is your fondest memory with Aden and Kris? It does not have to be race-related, but it probably will be.

Heather: My fondest memory was probably Loretta's in 2020. Kris won his moto that day. He had an early moto, and Aden was the second to last moto of the day. Aden made it on the podium, and I have a picture on my phone of the three of us hugging, and it's probably my favorite memory. Seeing both of my boys on the podium and Aden's crying. It was pretty amazing.

Vital MX: Do you ever feel you miss out on 'Heather' because you spend so much time at the track, which is not your favorite place to be on the weekend? You're with your family, but do you feel you ever miss out? 

Heather: No, I don't feel I miss out on 'Heather' time because Aden's getting older, and I know that these memories are coming to an end. Maybe he's going to move out. Maybe he's not. I don't know. If I'm with my boys, that's all that matters. People say, "Oh, you're missing out on life. You don't go out with girlfriends." I do nails. I talk to girls all day, so I have my fill of girl time. So, when I go home, and I'm with my boys, I'm happy. I wasn't even supposed to come to Oklahoma and, at the last minute, decided, "You know what, YOLO" (You Only Live Once), which is so stupid to say, but here I am in Oklahoma with these ding dongs. I love my boys. They're my world, and every day I get to spend with them, whether at the track or home, makes me happy.