Passion for bikes gets siblings wheel-y far

Duo have joined over 20 contests here and abroad

JOHOR BARU: A shared passion for biking took two young siblings all the way to China, where they represented Malaysia in an Asian-level push-bike tournament.

Nurqiesha Az Zharyd Mohd Azhar was just six years old when she and her brother Muhammad Izhud Ar Rifqi Mohd Azhar, then four, reached the semi-finals of the Strider Asian Championships in their respective age groups in Beijing in April last year.

Undaunted at not clinching the title, Nurqiesha, who got her first balance bike at the age of three, said her mission was to “make my parents and country proud”.

“I love joining competitions as I get to make a lot of new friends and learn new tricks each time.

“But having my brother with me is probably the best part. I hope to go far with him,’’ added the Year One pupil of SK Sultan Ibrahim in an interview.

Push bikes – or balance bikes – basically teach children the art of balance. Such bicycles do not have pedals and sometimes do not even come with brakes.

Their mother Norzalina Hassan, 35, said she started sending Nurqiesha to competitions when she realised how much her daughter loved the sport.

“I got her a push-bike instead of a bicycle with training wheels as I wanted her to improve her balance and have more flexibility.

“I did not expect things to go this far, but I am glad it did. I will continue to support both my children in pursuing their passion,” she said.

Norzalina said the two spent three days a week training and joined at least two competitions or events each month, adding that they had been involved in over 20 push-bike competitions here and abroad.

She said Nurqiesha recently made her debut in the more challenging BMX competition.

“She had been waiting eagerly to turn seven as that was the minimum age requirement to sign up for the BMX cycling competition.

“She is still among the youngest, but that does not stop her from competing with others who are more experienced,” she added.

Norzalina said the ups and downs of being in competitive sports from a young age has taught her children to be brave and resilient.

“At times, they are a little hard on themselves and feel dejected when they don’t make the cut, but I always remind them that the important thing is to give their all,’’ she added.