Our story

AND WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Right from the start the dream and vision has always fuelled the way, being to create an epic brand for kids, youth and families to believe in, with the shows, team riders, empowerment programs, championship campaigns and success stories helping fans, peers and the greater community find inspiration and reason.

**Alexander Max Cooper McLeod:** Founder and recipient of international award for effectiveness of preventative education.

Our story

The passion and journey for the empowerment industry started at a young age for Alexander ‘Max Cooper’ McLeod as a performer, stunt rider, entrepreneur and a natural leader with his first shows at the age of 12 staged on the family farm coordinating, inspiring and helping his first teams of riders.

Our story

The first RAD motocross team formed in 1996 with Max pioneering his range of empowered techniques, written framework programs and highly inspired environments, working with his riders and motocross students to ensure riders could overcome fear, return stronger from injury, win championship titles and successfully land stunt jumps.

Our story

As the RAD name grew, so did the folio of heartfelt success stories of riders rising up and overcoming hardships with Max making equal priority for those that were disadvantaged or enduring poverty, with this commitment to helping others having seen RAD establish a long list of riders who have benefited, grown and achieved the most heartwarming results living the RAD brand.

The dreams he had as a boy staging amateur shows on the family farm grew into professional Motocross stunt shows and music empowerment shows resulting in Max rising to the height of an official ambassador for the Ford Motor Company of Australia performing, coordinating and starring in stunt shows, high profile activations, public speaking roles and television feature stories.

Our story

The RAD influence saw Max stage presentations at primary, secondary and troubled youth schools at the same time achieving the somewhat impossible milestone of setting up the RAD Indoor Supercross Factory in the heart of Melbourne Docklands for school shows, high profile activations, rider training, rebuilding law disrespecting youth track building sessions and empowerment days for disadvantaged youth.

Our story

The invitation materialised for RAD to design and deliver a program solution across the City of Logan for the problem of kids and youth disengagement with the program working through the cities skateparks and dirt jump spaces.

This opportunity required RAD to expand out from Motocross, Supercross and stunt riding shows into the world of BMX freestyle skatepark and dirt jump, with the City of Logan RAD program initiated in 2016 achieving extraordinary success and a big following of riders across the city becoming engaged and choosing to make RAD the brand they believe in.

Our story

As the RAD way was implemented across the cities skateparks and dirt jump spaces, encompassing shows, workshops and rider teams, Max, Tracy, Leon McLeod and the RAD management team went on to receive an array of accolades and special invitational engagements with the cities Mayor.

The program additionally developed further framework and outcomes achieving documented success safeguarding against youth suicide, bullying and loss of hope, with additional areas delivering preventative drug education and the establishment of lead riders peer mentoring correct choices, a drug free lifestyle, manners and disciplines of high performance.

Our story

Poverty and neglect of kids and youth was an evident element across the skateparks, dirt jump spaces and bushland with the RAD shows, afternoon training sessions and weekend workshops seeing these hurting kids and youth join in and engage.

These kids and youth enduring awful situations enjoyed the belonging and kind environment, where they would eagerly embrace a snack for energy, a bbq sausage sandwich, hydration, and in so many cases, the reward and acknowledgement of engaging with the presentation of a fresh pair of socks, shoes and a clean new RAD t-shirt.

This exposure to poverty, neglect and homelessness sparked reason for Max to find a way to help across Australia and with this came the RAD Hero Backpacks containing 25 essential items, supplied to crisis centres and emergency disaster sites as a RAD charitable donation.

Our story

This rich history of providing charitable benevolence and delivering documented programs across the community pillars of preventative education, suicide prevention, drug rehabilitation, bullying prevention, at-risk youth engagement and public space activation has seen Alexander ‘Max Cooper’ McLeod and the RAD board granted the status of a tier 1 registered charity and Public Benevolent Institution.

Now in 2024, Max, his team and the RAD board are equipped to fulfil and deliver greatly expanded shows, programs, positive environments, framework and peer mentors to help a generation of kids, youth and families find inspiration and reason, believing in everything that is possible.