Road to victory
It may have been a bumpy road but Beth Shriever raced her way to a Gold medal!
When Beth Shriever’s school urged her to give BMX a go at nine years old, we bet they had no idea they were setting her off on a road that would lead to an Olympic Gold – but that was what happened on Friday, 30 July!
‘WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! GOLD MEDAL’ the 22-year-old exclaimed on her Instagram. And it’s not surprising that she’s bowled over by her win – as even her entry to the Games was uncertain for a long time.
Beth started off first on a loaned bike after her school’s suggestion and, when she enjoyed it, her parents invested in a second-hand one.
As her skill became apparent, she trained seriously and was crowned junior world champion in 2017 – only to hear that, after Rio, Team GB were only funding male riders.
Undeterred, Beth set up a crowdfunding page to raise the £50,000 she’d need to get to Tokyo 2020. She also worked in a nursery to help pay towards her training and trip.
And BMX riding doesn’t come without its risks. Along the way, Beth broke the same wrist three times and suffered a tibia and fibula fracture so bad that she needed metal plates inserted into her leg. She must have been devastated when she needed the same operation a year and a half later after another crash.
It was therefore no surprise that her family and boyfriend Brynley, watching from their home in Chelmsford, Essex, were worried about her.
‘The risks are quite high,’ said the 22-year-old’s mum Kate. ‘ We are nervous for her safety. We just want her to get round without coming off.’
And Beth did more than get round without injury! No doubt spurred on by her training partner Kye Whyte winning Silver just moments before, Beth went on to win her own race.
‘Honestly I’m in shock. To be here is an achievement in itself,’ she said afterwards. ‘To come away with a medal, let alone a Gold, is crazy.’
Finishing in tears, 21-yearold Kye scooped up the sobbing cyclist. ‘I’m more happy for her than I am for me,’ he said. ‘That girl puts in some serious, serious graft.’
Kye, who trained at Peckham and credits BMX riding for keeping him on the straight and narrow, said of his own win, ‘It’s [the medal] flipping heavy!
My neck is aching. It means everything to me. It’s hard to even get to the Olympics in the first place. But to do well and to get a medal, it’s special.’
Their victories were extra meaningful as they were the first two British medallists in the sport since it was introduced in Beijing 2008 – and then former cook Charlotte Worthington followed up their success a day later by winning Gold in the BMX freestyle.
The 25-year-old from Manchester performed the first ever 360-backflip in the women’s competition and said, ‘I’ve been dreaming about this for four years and it still feels like I’m dreaming. It was incredible.’
We’re ecstatic for all three of you – and all of our amazing athletes!
‘That girl puts in some serious, serious graft’