Our life in BMX started when my daughter began on half track and then my son joined shortly after. It was difficult having little kids on the half track, running around the track, getting to the hills first to push them. It felt like it was more work then it was worth, until a few very short months later they were doing it themselves and I became their biggest fan. Cheering them on with every race and screaming "PEDAL" and getting looks from the seasoned parents. Little did I know racing BMX was really nothing to do with pedalling and winning.

Getting around a BMX track is really all about pumping and strategizing. It is not who can pedal the fastest, there is a gate to get out, features to pump, corners to survive and then a finish line to make it over. All while standing up and keeping your bike rubber side down. If none of this making sense the best way to understand is to get on a bike and head out to the closest track because it may just become your favourite past time too.

I decided to get myself a bike because there were a few ladies at our local track that I watched weekly, they would race around and make it look easy. I was inspired not by the fastest ladies but by the moms I watched just go out and ride for themself. Maybe they would come in third or maybe they would be last. It didn't matter, they were out there for them and not the win. It wasn't about being the best, it was about learning a new sport and all the many skills it comes with and sharing the love of it all with their kids and that is what inspired me.

Over the last three years, BMX has become my families happy place. It's where we hang out with our friends, learn new skills and challenge ourselves. It has made us a family on two wheels, it gave us the confidence to try downhill biking at our local mountain and the ability to be comfortable on different trails around our valley. We travel and enjoy holidays while also getting to race. This is how we are winning with BMX, there is no replacement for the family time it has brought us and the many adventures to different tracks and that is our kind of winning.

With many years left to enjoy this awesome sport I look forward to always being my kids biggest fan and never having a voice again from cheering them on and spending our time together travelling to many more places to ride our bikes together with our friends who have become our BMX family.