In the world of freeride mountain biking, Red Bull Rampage is as extreme as it gets—sheer cliffs, massive canyon gaps, and lines so dangerous they’re studied for days before anyone dares drop in. It’s the kind of event where even the best riders in the world get broken.
For American freeride mountain biker Dylan Stark, Rampage didn’t just test his limits—it nearly ended his career.
After casing a massive jump at Rampage 2022, Dylan’s ankle was never the same. The pain was constant. Walking hurt. Hiking hurt. Riding—his livelihood and passion—became almost impossible.
He saw four ankle specialists. Every one of them told him the same thing:
- You’ve destroyed the cartilage in your ankle.
- You’ll never ride at a high level again.
- You need a total ankle replacement.
Dylan was just 31.
“They all told me I was never going to ride again. That they’d have to replace my whole ankle. I just felt way too young for that.”
— Dylan Stark
So he started looking for another way.
“Don’t Replace It. You’re Too Young.”
Refusing to accept that his riding days were over, Dylan reached out to a leading surgeon in Germany for another opinion. The surgeon’s advice was simple but powerful:
Don’t replace it. You’re too young.
Look into other options.
Around the same time, fate stepped in.
Dylan’s friend—BMX legend Mike “Rooftop” Escamilla—had been posting about his own stem cell treatments at CPI Stem Cells and how they had helped his knees. Dylan was intrigued.
On a long drive to Arizona, ankle throbbing, he made a decision:
“I was driving and thought, ‘What do I have to lose?’ I called CPI, emailed over my MRIs, and they got back to me with a plan. I had all this money saved up for a van, but I realized—if my ankle doesn’t work, what good is the van? Health is more important than anything.”
Instead of buying a van, Dylan invested in his body and his future.
He booked his trip to CPI Stem Cells in Tijuana, Mexico.
First Impressions: “It Felt Like Adult Summer Camp”
When Dylan arrived at CPI in July 2023, he didn’t find a cold, intimidating hospital. He found something completely different.
“I call it adult summer camp. You come here, have fun, meet great people, and leave pain-free.”
— Dylan Stark
His experience included:
- A welcoming, low-stress environment
- A supportive community of other patients—many of them athletes
- Time to connect, share stories, and build friendships
- Comfortable accommodations and surprisingly good hospital food (“Best hospital food ever,” in his words)
By the end of the week, the nervousness everyone felt on the shuttle ride down had transformed into something else entirely.
“At the start of the week, everyone’s a little unsure. By the end, everyone’s exchanging numbers and becoming friends. It really feels like camp—but for adults who want to get their lives back.”
Behind the scenes, CPI’s medical team had already reviewed Dylan’s MRIs and history, then built a personalized stem cell protocol for his severely damaged ankle.
Choosing Stem Cells Before Total Ankle Replacement
Every doctor Dylan saw before CPI told him the same thing:
Replace the ankle. Accept that your riding career is over.
But a total ankle replacement at that age comes with huge downsides:
- Major surgery
- Permanent hardware
- Limited range of motion
- No going back once it’s done
“I figured, if I do a full ankle replacement, there’s no undoing that. But I could try stem cells first. If it doesn’t work, I could still do the replacement down the line.
Two years later, I’m better than I’ve been in years.”
— Dylan Stark
At CPI, Dylan received stem cell injections directly into his ankle, along with a systemic IV protocol. His treatment plan was designed to support joint healing, reduce inflammation, and help him get back to the high-impact lifestyle he lives—on the bike, on the mountain, and in daily life.
Life After CPI: No Brace, No Limits
Before stem cells, Dylan’s ankle pain ruled his life. He couldn’t:
- Hike
- Do heavy physical work
- Ride without multiple ankle braces and tape
- Enjoy normal day-to-day movement without constant pain
Two years later, his reality is completely different:
- He hasn’t worn an ankle brace in over a year and a half
- He can hike, climb, and do hard manual labor
- He rides and trains at an elite level again
- The constant, grinding pain that used to dominate his life is gone
“I used to always complain about my ankle in my old YouTube videos—every clip it was, ‘My ankle, my ankle.’ I watched them recently and realized I don’t even talk about it anymore.
Now it only hurts sometimes when I do something really crazy. But at this point, what doesn’t hurt? I’m getting older. Everything hurts when I wake up.”
— Dylan Stark
He even had to tell his ankle brace sponsor that he didn’t need their product anymore.
From “Career Over” to X Games Medals and Rampage Invites
Maybe the most powerful part of Dylan’s story is what happened after his stem cell treatment.
Just 30 days after his procedure at CPI, he got the phone call of a lifetime:
“I was lying on the couch late at night and got a call to ride in X Games. It felt like a dream. A month earlier, I thought my career might be over. I’d just found out I was only an alternate for Rampage.
Then X Games called—and it changed everything.”
Fast forward:
- He filmed and submitted his X Games Real MTB part
- In 2024, he earned third place
- He also won Fan Favorite—which, to Dylan, means everything
“Fan Favorite feels like first place to me. You do it for the fans. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
On top of that, he:
- Earned his second Red Bull Rampage invite
- Continues to push the limits of freeride with massive jumps and boundary-pushing lines
- Recently moved into his dream home and is building a riding compound
From being told he’d never ride again…
To standing on an X Games podium…
To getting invited back to the most dangerous event in mountain biking.
Dylan credits stem cells and CPI as a key part of that turnaround.
“In 2022, I thought I was done. No more cartilage, no more ankle. Now I’m back, riding at the highest level, invited to Rampage again.
I owe so much of that to CPI and stem cells.”
“Don’t Go Straight to Surgery. Look at All Your Options.”
Dylan is now one of the loudest voices in his community reminding other athletes—and anyone living with joint damage—that surgery isn’t always the only option.
“If someone’s telling you to chop your ankle, your knee, your shoulder—at least try stem cells first.
Once they cut it out, it’s gone forever. But with stem cells, you’ve got something to gain and not much to lose.”
He’s met dozens of return patients at CPI—people coming back because they experienced meaningful improvements the first time and wanted to treat other areas.
“Nothing works for everyone. But I’ve talked to so many patients here who say, ‘Yeah, I feel much better.’ Sometimes ‘better’ means getting back to work. Sometimes it means back to hiking or lifting grandkids.
For me, it meant I got my career and my lifestyle back.”
Who Is Dylan Stark?
Dylan Stark is an American professional freeride mountain biker and former BMX rider known for his fearless creativity, huge urban lines, and unique crossover style that blends street tricks with big-mountain aggression. Based in Southern California and sponsored by YT Industries and other top brands, he rose to prominence through viral video parts and his standout performance in X Games Real MTB, where his raw, high-energy riding captured global attention.
He’s one of the sport’s most influential modern riders—turning city architecture and natural terrain alike into massive riding canvases, and inspiring a new generation to merge artistry and athleticism on two wheels.
Thinking About Stem Cells for Yourself?
If you or someone you love has been told:
- “There’s nothing more we can do.”
- “You’ll never run/ride/jump again.”
- “You’re too young, but you need a joint replacement.”
—then Dylan’s story is proof that there may be more options than you’ve been given.
At CPI Stem Cells in Tijuana, Mexico (just minutes from the San Diego border), we specialize in personalized stem cell protocols for:
- Joint degeneration and cartilage loss
- Chronic pain and mobility issues
- Sports injuries and post-surgical complications
We combine cutting-edge regenerative medicine with a warm, supportive environment that many patients describe as “adult summer camp”—a place where you can heal, connect, and rediscover what your body is capable of.
Take the Next Step
Curious whether stem cell therapy might help your situation?
👉 Schedule a consultation with the CPI Stem Cells team to review your case, imaging, and goals, and explore your options with our medical staff.
You don’t have to accept “your life is over” as the final word.
Like Dylan, you may have more of your story left to write.