Gideon ready after getting ‘big wake-up call’
HAYES BMX starlet Gideon Orena believes he is now ready to mix it with the best as he bids to punch above his weight in 2016.
After winning the U15 title at the 2014 British BMX Championships, 15-year-old Orena made the decision to test himself in an older age group.
At this year’s domestic gathering, Orena could only finish fifth in the 17+ category, but he was the youngest competitor in the race and the Hayes Hawks BMX Club ace insists he is ready for a big year in 2016 now he has found his feet.
“After a rocky start to the season, where I ended up crashing a few times, I also got a big wake-up call,” said Orena, who also finished 36th at the World Championships.
“After winning the British Championship in the age group above, I decided to move up again and then competing with riders from all over the world in that category was a bit of a knockout punch.
“Seeing how good they all were gave me a bit of an extra work ethic, and I gradually got a lot better and moved up once again to British junior level and finished sixth overall at the national championships which was a huge achievement.
“I really want to maintain that kind of form this year as well and going in ahead of my years really does fill me with confidence. I like to think that I set the pace as people followed me up the age groups after I went and hopefully being a step ahead will aid me going forward.”
However, with the BMX season over until the new year, Orena is putting in the hard work away from the bike and is instead concentrating on life at Evelyn Grace Academy in order to attack 2016 with a clear mind.
“It’s the off-season now, and I’m knuckling down and studying as I don’t want it to interfere with my BMX season next year,” he added. “GCSEs are a big thing for me now, and balancing them out with BMX is going to be very hard.
“I’ve decided to try and sit some of my exams early so it gives me some leeway to train for the summer and try to get to the standard that I need to be.
“So 2016 is going to be all about acing all my GCSEs while maintaining my fitness, which is going to be tough. Balancing studying with improving in a professional sport is hard, but I’d like to stay on the same level as last year so I am able to grow.”
Gideon Orena attended the Jaguar Land Rover Academy of Sport workshop, mentored by Land Rover ambassador David Flatman and Sportsaid patron Bryan Steel.
For more information, visit sportsaid.org.uk.