There’s nothing more inspiring than someone who takes their childhood dream and makes it a reality—like, world champion status reality. Meet Matthias Dandois: a celebrated BMX rider, globe-trotter and espresso enthusiast. We caught up with him to chat about his favorite cities, go-to songs as of late, daily uniform and more.

Hi, Matthias! Tell us about yourself—what do you do, where do you live?
Hi! I’m a BMX rider based in Paris, but I’m on the road a lot for work.

What’s your go-to...

Coffee order:

Un café, or espresso. I’m French. [laughs]

Outfit:

Vans, stretchy jeans and a vintage windbreaker.

Album/playlist:

I have a riding playlist on Spotify with a bunch of songs I like. If I had to choose from all of them, I’d say La vie ne vaut rien by Tim Dup.

Neighborhood hangout:

The bar La Seine down the street from my apartment in Paris. Great coffee and good French food!

So how’d you first get into BMX?
I’ve been riding for 17 years—I must be getting old! [laughs] I first saw it on a TV show when I was 12 and thought it would be amazing to try. I got a BMX bike the next Christmas and it all started from there.

Riding has taken you all over the world—what are some of your favorite travel destinations?
Traveling is most definitely the best part of my job! My top three places to visit are Iceland (the east side of the island is gorgeous), Cape Town in South Africa—mind blowing—and New York City. The energy in New York always gets me.

How do you like to spend your off days?
I don’t really like days off—but when I’m not on the road, I love to hang out with my girlfriend, take photos, work out... I like to keep busy.

Fair enough! What’re you most excited about in the new year?
I have a trip to Cuba with my bike sponsor in February. I’ve never been there and it’s apparently amazing, so I can’t wait!

And finally, since this is our Humans We Heart series, is there someone in your life you’d like to shout out?
My little nephew, Gael. He’s just over a year old but he inspires me so much. Love you little dude!

Thanks for hanging, Matthias. Get to know more Humans We Heart right here.