Australian FMX riders filling up many of the invitations at this year's X Games is partly because of guys such as Truman Carroll.

Carroll, 26, knows what training and dedication will get him if he continues striving toward his goals that include one day making it to the sport's Holy Grail of competition: X Games.

Riders such as Blake Williams, Cam Sinclair, Rob Adelberg and Jackson Strong all started at the bottom before making names for themselves and working their way up as recognized, acclaimed FMX riders.

Hailing from New South Wales, Carroll is fortunate enough to be able to ride with neighbors Adelberg and Strong. With just a short amount of time on the bike, having top pros to ride with definitely doesn't hurt.

Keeping an eye out for upcoming guys in our sport, I've been seeing Carroll staking his claim with a couple of wins recently in the Australian Freestyle Motocross Championships [and some cooking pictures to boot]. After his recent trip to the United States, I spoke with Carroll to see what he's been up to.

ESPN.com: Who is Truman Carroll?
Carroll: Aussie FMX rider making a name for himself.

When did you start riding?
2005.

Did you race?
No, never raced. I grew up playing Australian rules football all my life. I was playing professional football for Sydney Swans reserves in 2004 before I made the decision to ride FMX.

Where do you live?
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. It's just a small country town but plenty of room to move. And I've got a great crew to ride with, Rob Adelberg and Jackson Strong being my neighbors.

How often do you get to do demos in Australia?
Every now and again there's a demo on I'll be able to do. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Crusty Demons Cup at the Melbourne Formula 1 [race] this year, which consisted of four days of shows and a competition where I finished third in best whip behind [Thomas] Pages and [Todd] Potter.

Is FMX your full-time job?
No, I work six days a week for a plumbing/excavation company, which makes it difficult to ride. But I train before and after work with a mixture of gym work, yoga and sprint training. I'm working towards an opportunity to make FMX my full-time job so I can achieve my goals a lot quicker.

You recently just scored some wins, tell me about that?
There is an FMX series here called the Australian Freestyle Motocross Championships that consist of five rounds, the last round was held at Coonabarabran MX Park, and it was an awesome course with heaps of dirt hits, quarterpipe, transfers and ramps. I was pumped to go out and hit/flip everything first on what the industry was calling a world-class course and Australia's best freestyle course in history and come away with the win.

What are some of your best tricks?
I love throwing a good old rock solid Hart attack but a [kiss of death] flip and Cordova flips go all right, too.

You seem to have picked up some good cooking tips from Potter while out here last time, what is your most favorite dish to cook?
Yes, Todd definitely looks after himself in the kitchen! I'd like to say something fancy but I can't go past a big fat juicy steak coated with mushroom sauce on a bed of mashed potatoes and pumpkin with a side of freshly steamed veggies [laughs].

Any plans to move to the United States to ride full time?
I'd love to move to the States and ride full time so I could concentrate on riding 100 percent. All the best riders are there, best compounds and free-riding areas. I love competing and this environment would definitely be great to progress in.

Anyone you'd like to thank?
I can't thank enough my great sponsors Metal Mulisha, Fist Handwear, MXINK, etnies, Workout Gym and CIty Coast Motorcycles. And you can follow me on Twitter @Trumancarroll18 and check out my Facebook page for all my updates.