Rodeo Fame Fall Issue 2018 | Page 54

ATHLETES & STARS How MATT SHIOZAWA Balances Travel & Family By Shannon Geddes Rodeo is nothing like most major professional sports. There are no guaranteed contracts and travel expenses from rodeo to rodeo are paid by the cowboys and cowgirls themselves. Professional tie-down roper, Matt Shiozawa travels approximately 60,000 miles per year. He always enjoyed taking his wife and three daughters on the road with him up until they got old enough that school and extracurricular activities took them away. As a result, Matt now limits travel to only about a 500 mile radius from his home in Chubbuck, Idaho. That way, he gets home frequently to spend quality time with his family. In the summer, Matt’s family still regularly accompanies him to rodeos. He likes to make it a learning time for his girls whenever