Feature Story
Cameron McAdoo Back in Action
Cameron McAdoo on Training, Fatherhood, and the 2026 Season
After battling back from a devastating ACL injury leading up to the 2025 Monster Energy® Supercross season that left Cameron McAdoo off the bike for seven months, McAdoo is back and ready for the 2026 with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki aboard his KX™250.
McAdoo opens up about his recovery process, how he's approaching the new season, his intense training schedule, the excitement of stepping into fatherhood, and more.
Q&A with Cameron McAdoo
Q: How did it feel getting back on the bike after being off for a while?
Answer:
As everyone knows that rides, it was pretty tough mentally to be off of it for that long. I didn't ride for seven months, which is the longest I've ever been off the bike. It felt amazing, but at the same time, I was a bit nervous. I think many riders who are off the bike for a significant period of time have a similar feeling of questioning if they're still capable, but it came back right away, and I really enjoyed it. It's also been really nice to get back into my normal day-to-day routine that I'm used to, which is waking up to train and get better on a dirt bike every day.
Q: How has preparing for the new season been going and what are your goals for 2026?
Answer:
Everything's been going really well. I'm still on a 450 riding outdoors, so I am hoping within the next couple of weeks I can get back on a 250 and start prepping for supercross. I started on the 450 to get comfortable with the adjustments of being back on the bike and because when I first started riding again in September, the team was still racing SuperMotocross. I'm ready to get back on the 250 because the off-season flies by so quickly, and right now it's crunch time. We've been doing a lot of work on and off the bike. Right now, getting time on the bike is really important for me, so it doesn't matter if I'm riding motocross or supercross. I've missed a lot of time and reps over the last three years from some unfortunate injuries, so any riding leads to improvement in general.
My goals are very similar to what they have been the last few years. Obviously, as racers at the highest level, our goal is always to win, but there are steps to that and I have goals along the way of that process. My first goal is to stay healthy for all the races and have a good, consistent season. That is the starting goal, and from there, if the team can provide what's needed, I think we have the recipe to win. I am focused on putting my best foot forward and being my best self every weekend and letting everything fall into place.
Q: Can you give us a glimpse into what a week of training looks like for you?
Answer:
I'm back pretty much full-time in my 2026 prep. Every morning, I have a warm-up run along with a stretching and mobility routine. My week consists of riding on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. After riding, I have a gym session in the afternoon that is strength training focused. On Wednesday and Saturday, I have a long bicycle ride.
Once we start getting further into supercross prep and that intensity pumps up a little bit, we will usually make some changes to the gym schedule. The closer we get to the beginning of the season, the more we even out and rather than focusing on building strength, I'm looking to preserve my body and stay fresh.
Q: Who have you been working with for a trainer and have there been any changes to your program?
Answer:
I've been working with Nick Wey since my first year at Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki in 2020. Pretty much everything is the same for me and my program this year as it has been the last few years. Obviously, we make adjustments accordingly to what we feel could be improved upon from the year prior. We focus on areas where I struggle and also spend time improving my strengths further, similar to how the team makes changes to the bike.
This summer, I did a fair bit more strength training because I'm trying to make myself as durable as possible. My cardio training has always been a strong suit of mine, so I looked at the time off the bike with my knee injury as an opportunity to focus more on building as much strength and muscle as possible. Once we start riding, it's pretty counterproductive to do a lot of strenuous strength training because you start to overwork yourself, and then you're not as fresh when you're riding. That was something I did, but it wasn't a major change for me. It was the circumstances we were faced with that we took advantage of the best we could.
Q: How has everything been going in preparation for becoming a dad?
Answer:
It's been amazing; that was the silver lining from everything that happened this year. The way this year unfolded with my injury in January, just before the season started, felt like the most devastating thing. Sometimes it is hard for us to understand why things like that happen, so having this blessing and becoming a dad here soon has really flipped our year around in the best way possible. I never knew how much I wanted it and how excited I was going to be. As soon as I knew that I was going to be a dad, I was so excited for everything to come. We feel very blessed that we've been chosen to be parents, and it's been really fun seeing Maddie's strength and seeing how she is handling all of it. Watching her grow our child is the most spectacular thing I've ever gotten to experience.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most with starting a family?
Answer:
I look forward to putting my best effort into teaching a new human about the world and showing them our way of living and how I would like their life to be. I know it's going to be the biggest challenge of my life, and I love challenges. I love growing together, and honestly, one of the things that I'm most excited about is seeing my wife become a mom. It's going to be a really cool experience. I think that she has an amazing heart to share and a lot of strength. I look forward to seeing her grow into that role and for our family to grow.
