BMX champions keep it in the family
North Canterbury’s BMXing family continued to build on its success at the North Island Titles in Whangarei in October.
Ella, 15, and Brooklyn Hansen, 5, have racing in their genes.
Ella is the younger sister of Brooklyn’s dad, Troy, who used to ride, and sister Tahlia, three-time world BMX champion, who placed third in the North Island last month.
Both Ella and Brooklyn have been riding since the age of two, Ella picking up a raft of accolades in her 13 years of competing.
Brooklyn races in the five-andunder sprockets and was up against 12 other riders at Whangarei, including three Australian competitors.
He placed third in the Nationals earlier in the year and fourth at Whanagarei.
His first ever event was the North Islands last year where he placed 7th, despite being a year younger than the rest of the pack.
Brooklyn trains twice a week and is lucky enough to have aunty, Ella, coach him.
But he likes racing the best, and usually has one race a week, on top of the three annual big events around the country.
Ella missed out on first place at the North Islands in the 15-yearold girls’ section, but only very narrowly.
‘‘I was beaten by an Australian too. I was winning but she passed me on the last straight.’’
The next outing for Ella, who said she is still at school part time but BMXing full time, will be going to Australia with the senior development team, after she successfully trialled for the squad two weekends ago.
She is also hoping to get to the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, next year, but first up will be the South Island Titles in January.
Brooklyn looks set to follow in his family’s footsteps and is already looking pretty sharp around the track, but the family participation is unlikely to stop there — his younger sister Skyla is just three but has also been riding since she was two so she will be one to watch when she gets older, especially if the family genetics have anything to do with it.
Brooklyn and Skyla’s mum Emma said while it was by no means a cheap sport, with individual bike parts, protective gear and travel all mounting up financially, it was great that the whole family was involved and could make the most of going away together.