From ballerina to to biker, meet the 11-year-old rising star of motocross
SHE dedicated almost half of her young life to being a ballerina.
But then Cristina Palmer swapped leotards for leathers and became a fiercely competitive motocross rider.
The 11-year-old started dancing as a toddler and mastered the craft over six years, even studying at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dance in London and winning gold medals.
Her petite frame was perfect for the tricky leaps and lunges prima ballerinas spend hours learning.
But over time dance failed to pique her interest as much as it once had.
She said: ‘It just got to a stage where I wasn’t into it any more. I didn’t get that rush of adrenaline I was looking for.’
Aged eight, Cristina, from Dunbar, East Lothian, traded her tutu for a safety
‘Never broken any bones’
helmet to compete in the male-dominated sports of motocross and enduro.
Now, she ‘can’t imagine life without it’ – and her love of bikes seems to date back to her infancy. Her mother, Vica Palmer, 42, explained: ‘At 23 days old she had serious colic and the only way she could be soothed is by hearing the sound of a motorbike. Her father would turn it on in the back yard and she’d fall right asleep.’
On Friday, Cristina’s proud mother and 47-year-old father, Stephen, looked on as she was sworn into the SMS Academy at Glasgow’s Ignition festival.
She is the youngest rider to join the talent development initiative, which is sponsored by Scottish Motor Sports. Cristina said: ‘I ride every day. We have a big enough back yard but I’m professionally trained, too. And, fingers crossed, but I’ve never broken any bones.’
She is leading the British Girls championship and has lucrative sponsorships with Rock Oil and Wulfsport. The Dunbar Primary pupil said: ‘I’m very competitive. I get this butterfly feeling of adrenaline every time I compete. I’m best friends with a lot of the guys I race with but as soon as we’re on the track everything turns serious.’
In a typical ten- to 12-minute motocross race for her age group, competitors try to do as many laps of the hilly track as possible – Cristina completes between six and eight.
Enduro racing is long-distance and cross-country.
Cristina is fairly certain of her career prospects in the sport.
She said: ‘When I grow up I’m going to be a professional female motocross and enduro rider.’