Pulling her helmet down over a nut-brown braid and slipping her mouthguard in, 10-year-old Janel Church kicks her heels down on her bike and pedals through a few practice laps at the bike jump park beside the Metchosin Fire Hall.
Her grandfather, Melvin Pallister, looks on.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 very proud of her,B次元官网网址� he says, a smile stretching across his face.
And no wonder. Church recently competed in the 2014 BMX Canadian Grand Nationals in Chilliwack with her team, the UFO/Doublecross Trophy Team, and brought home the title of National Girl Number 2, ranking her the second best female BMX rider in all of Canada, beating out girls across all age groups up to 18.
Church also won Canadian National Age Group #1 amongst 10-year olds, something her granddad was also smiling about.
B次元官网网址淪he just turned 10 in September,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淎nd all these girls were wondering B次元官网网址榳hoB次元官网网址檚 this girl?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Church continues dipping up and down the dirt hills, more comfortable on the bike than speaking to a newspaper reporter, and clearly enjoying herself. Though the spirit of competition is fierce at the national events, she doesnB次元官网网址檛 take it to heart, Pallister says.
B次元官网网址淚f she wins or loses, she just shakes it off and carries on.B次元官网网址�
ThereB次元官网网址檚 a spark in the bright, amber-coloured eyes of this shy pre-teen, though, as she considers the answer to a question about her favourite part of the Grand Nationals. She grins like itB次元官网网址檚 Christmas morning; being out in front of all the riders, she says.
Church, whoB次元官网网址檚 been riding since she was four, has been making it to nationals since she started, Pallister says.
The drive to win is actually what cost her the top spot for Canada.
B次元官网网址淪he just needed to get second place to get first for all of Canada,B次元官网网址� he says of one of ChurchB次元官网网址檚 last races. B次元官网网址淏ut she wanted the win, so she ducked under and B次元官网网址次元官网网址� He mimes hitting the ground. The crash didnB次元官网网址檛 faze Church, though. She was out the next gate B次元官网网址渓ike a bat out of hell,B次元官网网址� her grandpa says.
Back home and practicing twice a week, Church is preparing for the next big competitions: the U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas in January, and the U.S. Grand Nationals in Tulsa later in 2015. She plans to keep racing for years yet, she says, reaching for ever-higher prizes.
Her ultimate ambition: to race for Canada in the Olympics.
acowan@goldstreamgazette.com
