For the love of BMX: Distance no barrier for these families

The GWM BMX Racing National Championships draw people from around Australia, and it’s nothing short of incredible how far people will travel for the sport they love.

We caught up with some of the riders, parents, and their families to find out how they do it.

Michael, Oliver, and Isabelle Beames, Southern City BMX, Tasmania.

Unlike many families, the Beames decided to drive rather than fly to the GWM BMX Racing National Championships, which included coming across on the Spirit of Tasmania. The road trip turned into a BMX trip, with the team stopping off at as many BMX tracks as they could along the way.

“Well, it took us six days and 3900 kilometres, pretty much. One wheel bearing, and the brakes weren't too good either,” Michael laughed.

“So, it took us five days from off the boat, so six days in all.

“It was a BMX trip, really, because we are BMXers … So we hit Warrnambool, Portland, Mount Gambier on the first day, got into Adelaide then we went to Happy Valley.

“And then our next one was at Kalgoorlie for Eastern Goldfields, and because it was closed, we sent a message to them and they opened up the club for us. And because it was late in the afternoon, they even put the lights on for us. That was just so good."

Natalie, Aiden, and Chloe Eakin, Atherton BMX, Queensland.

Aiden and Chloe are the only riders from Atherton BMX club, about 90 minutes from Cairns in far north Queensland. To get more value for money, this year the family included a stopover in their trip.

“We've come 3,500 kilometres to get here, but we were lucky enough to fly. So we were at States in September at Nerang, and me and the kids flew straight from Brisbane to Perth. And we had the bikes with us obviously already, and we've been in a campervan for a couple of weeks,” Natalie said.

“The expense of traveling anywhere is one of [the challenges]. We always like to collect Qantas points during the year to try and help with the flights and things like that. The challenge we faced yesterday was my son's bike had something wrong with his back wheel, so a new rim yesterday.

“You get all that quality time going somewhere that you might not have gone on a holiday. You pick a spot and that’s it, you're going to go and you work towards it for the year, and yeah, it is really nice bonding time.

"And the kids always make friends. They're actually just over at the park now. There’s a lot of BMXers here at this caravan park and they’re making friends with kids they're riding with, so it’s pretty special for them.”

Jason, Leo, Sam, and John Langford, Port Hedland BMX, Western Australia.

It’s easy to forget that even if the event is in your own state, many West Australians still have to travel quite a distance to ride at Nationals. That applies to Port Hedland BMX club president Jason Langford and his family of three young riders.

“Port Hedland is 1800 kilometres north up towards Broome. It's a remote mining town, but we manage a local club up there and we actually have one of the biggest turnouts of any club in Australia. We can have up to 120 riders on a Friday night,” Jason said.

“It takes us about 19 hours to drive, and most of the time we just do it in one run. We'll leave early in the morning at 4 a.m, and we'll rock in it at nine, 10 o’clock at night. Sometimes we'll stay halfway, but it's sometimes just easier to push through.

“We had the trailer on the back with about 15 bikes, because it's not just racing for us. We want to take advantage of all the pump tracks and jump straights and mountain biking. So, my oldest son, Sam, he's doing the Enduro nationals next weekend, so we have to bring a trailer with all the gear.

“To be competitive, you've got to really try and compete in all the state rounds. From there, you know, it's over 30,000 k’s a year to come down and compete in all the state rounds, which we did last year.

“You can imagine three kids in a car. My eldest is 13, our youngest is seven, so we share seats around. We don't always sit three in the back. And we listen to a lot of audiobooks, which probably would be one of the biggest tips or tricks. We listen to Harry Potter stories and all sorts of stuff, and it's cool. The kids just zone out listening to it and fall asleep.

“The kids love it. The oldest one probably loves it more than anyone and everyone, but it's a sport that we can do as a family. I dabble in some officiating. We have north-west rounds, so we get to travel, we get to meet people, hang out with friends from different towns, and then when we come down here, the community, seeing everyone … it’s great to have that community, and to give back to the community.

“It is good bonding as a family. It has its challenges, but overall it's bloody good.”

Wayne and Emerson Mayger, Westside BMX, Western Australia

Wayne and Emerson are Perth locals and while this year the Nationals are in their backyard, like most West Australians, they know better than most what it takes to travel for sport.

“Well, normally, my partner Bec will fly with us, so it's like three airfares, and Emmie races two categories, so it’s two lots of bikes. And then car hire, and all that sort of stuff. So we always fly. We have talked about driving, but then it's just getting the time to travel. It takes a couple of days, three days to get over anywhere from WA as well, so mostly driving is not really an option,” Wayne said.

“The biggest thing logistics wise, is making sure the bikes all get there on time ... That's probably the biggest stress. Because I know it has happened with a lot of people over this way where bikes have just been left.

“It's a big disadvantage to be honest with you for our riders in WA, and I’ve seen it this week. The eastern state riders, and no disrespect to any of our riders here, including my own daughter, but the eastern state riders are just at that next level because they can do so much traveling. It's closer.

“It’s just basically the sport and the people around it, which I’m mostly pretty good friends with. It’s that community spirit that I love about it. That’s why I enjoy it. And she enjoys it.”

In today's racing, Chelsea Tuck (Launceston BMX), Samuel Tetlow (Westside BMX), and Jardyn O'Neill (Centenary Plains BMX) won their respective Para BMX categories, while Brodie Gooch (Pine Rivers BMX) and Lauren Winter (Nhulunbuy BMX) won the 17-24 categories.

National Championship, Thursday Results

National Championship, Thursday Replay

2024 GWM BMX Racing National Championships

Dates: October 7-13
Location: Westside BMX Club, Balcatta
More information: 2024 GWM BMX Racing National Championships
Live Timing: Our Sqorz
Live Streaming: SBS On Demand

Follow @AusCycling

The 2024 GWM BMX Racing National Championships are proudly supported by GWM Australia & New Zealand, the City of Stirling, and the Western Australian Government through Tourism WA.

Images: AusCycling/Wayne Mayger