Man paralyzed in motocross accident finds success on eBay

Self determined eBay seller Donovan Mitchell didn’t let his motocross accident stop him from creating a thriving business on eBay.

At just 19 years old Donovan’s motocross dream came to a halt after an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. he found himself unsure about the future and ‘floating through life’ for 14 years. He tried to take a number of different routes including college and different jobs in the racing industry but none of those pathways truly sparked his passion in the same way motocross racing did.

Donovan’s curiosity found him talking with an old friend who was already running an eBay store full-time. His friend taught him about selling on eBay and in 2014, Donovan started selling parts from his garage that were leftover from his years around the sport of motocross. He found someone to help with photos and shipping and took care of the listings and administrative eBay store management himself.

“[Selling on eBay] became my new obsession. It was the first thing that reminded me, ‘Okay, I do have this passion, and I want to channel some of my competitiveness, my determination, into it.’”
– Donovan Mitchell

Donovan eventually met his wife jenny which led to gaining $100,000 of inventory from the garage she worked at and they now both run their store BikeNow Motorsports together. In 2017, BikeNow Motorsports became an authorized dealer with a motorcycle parts distributor and now Donovan wakes up on a normal workday at 6 a.m to get things done and give customers the best experience he possibly can.

“I truly embody what’s possible on eBay. I’m able to run a business with just the use of one of my arms and no use of my fingers. I am a prime example that people with disabilities can have independence and be successful using eBay as a platform to better their lives.”
– Donovan Mitchell