Heinz Kinigadner was one of the top stars on the motocross scene. The Austrian made a name for himself both nationally and internationally with seven Austrian championships and two world championships. These days, the former motorcycling ace and advisor to KTM is primarily involved with his Wings for Life Foundation which is concerned with research into a cure for paraplegia and was set up by him in 2003.

You are a master baker and pastry chef, a trade that requires a lot of patience and precision. How did you come to be involved in motocross with a background like that?

I probably owe it to my father, who used to take part in hillclimbs and in races on ice. My brothers Hansi and Klaus and me in particular found it so fascinating that we were all mad about motocross from a very early age and didn't want to do anything else. We made a pact that we would all become motocross world champions, even if we only won the Austrian championship. We were the top three guys in Austria at the time. Everyone knew our names.

Still, I couldn't neglect my job as a patissier, you know, because we have a family bakery that is currently in the third generation. So, I was always in the bakery at night and used to ride motocross during the day. That worked out very well from a time point of view.

What do you like most about motocross?

For me, it's mainly the sporting aspect that I particularly enjoy, that and giving it full throttle. With motocross, it's not just about mastering a machine while on the limit, you also have to be in really good physical shape so that you can successfully beat off the competition. And if things are going really well, you also experience an adrenaline rush that you just can't get anywhere else. You almost go into some kind of state of trance which then makes you feel invincible. This special feeling is what makes it so addictive, and you never want to miss your 'fix'.

What are you particularly proud of in your career?

It's not necessarily the numerous titles that I've won which make me proud, because the trophies really only laid the foundations for my subsequent career in motorcycling. What does make me feel good is the fact that I was instrumental in bringing about KTM's economic revival and helped to rebuild the brand. I was given a unique opportunity.

To what extent has your son's accident also influenced on your career?

I ended my career as a pro three years before Hannes had his accident and only ever rode for fun after that. I've not sat on a motorbike since July 2003 when Hannes fell while riding in a charity event to raise money for a home for the disabled and was paralysed from then on. I've talked it over with Hannes and will only get back on a bike once we can go out together and share the fun. While ever Hannes is unable to ride, it just wouldn't feel right if I could only tell him about how great it was when he can't experience it for himself at the moment. Still, I'm one hundred percent certain that my son's condition will significantly improve in the future. Considerable progress has been made in the study of paraplegia and in stem cell research as well.

How did you hit upon the idea of the Wings for Life Foundation?

When my son had his accident, I couldn't at first accept the fact that he's paralysed and wrote to all manner of research institutes around the world to ask whether there's any hope of a cure for paraplegia. So, I gained my first insights into the topic and put a lot of work into studying the whole area. I think that the state and also the pharmaceutical industry are doing far too little from a research point of view, and that we have to get to the root of the problem. That's why I decided to set up the Wings for Life Foundation and support research into finding a cure for paraplegia.

What do you want to achieve through the Foundation?

It's my sincere wish to rekindle paraplegics' hope that they will not be tied to a wheelchair until the day they die!

To what extent would you like to change the way people think?

People shouldn't take it for granted that they can walk. The Wings for Life Foundation should, of course, also aim to make people wake up and realise that an accident can happen at any time. Only four to five per cent of accidents in extreme sports result in paraplegia. For car accidents, the figure is as much as 50 percent. Many accidents also occur when people are relaxing or are at home.

You are still involved with MX sport and have set up your own team for juniors, the Kini KTM Junior Pro Team. Why?

I was born with an enthusiasm for motocross and the sport will always remain one of the most beautiful things in the world both for me and my son. We still go to every race together. The accident has served to bind us together as one unit. We live out our passion with our own Kini KTM Junior Pro Team. With Marcel Stauffer, René Hofer and Manuel Perkhofer, we are sponsoring three great young talents who have an excellent chance of breaking into the international scene.

What form does sponsorship of the riders take?

We equip them with racing leathers, and, through our cooperation with Red Bull and KTM, we provide them with bikes and help with all training and race outings. In addition, we have some top people, such as Dietmar 'Didi' Lacher, for special workout sessions, and we've also been able to acquire the services of fitness and mental coach, Dr Michael Reinprecht, to assist our team of three riders.

What do you want to get across to your riders?

The good thing about the sport of motocross is that you don't have to get across very much. Every rider pays the price for how he's done after each round and must simply live with the consequences if he's not fully fit. The boys themselves need to understand that they are solely responsible for their performance on the track and that they themselves have to develop the desire to prepare the best they can if they want to achieve decent finishes.

How important to you is taking part in the ADAC MX Junior Cup with your juniors?

Participation in the ADAC MX Junior Cup is hugely important to us, since the racing series is directly below the world championship. The standard is extremely high with many top stars and is therefore a terrific opportunity for every young rider. In that respect, the ADAC MX Junior Cup is an important stepping stone, enabling riders to prove themselves later in the European and world championships.

What do you enjoy most about your job and the opportunities that your high profile gives you?

I think that what I find most enjoyable is being able to share my passion for motocross and for my Wings for Life Foundation with so many great people like my son Hannes and my friend, Pit Beirer (Head of KTM Motorsport). Plus, Hannes and I are always getting new ideas and setting up new projects together, which gives me a lot of pleasure. We're already thinking again about whether in January 2017 we should go to the Dakar in South America or to the Supercross Championship in California.