From Daredevils to National Academy: Finding our next BMX Freestyle champions

Could you be the next Logan Martin or Natalya Diehm?  

The search is on for Australia's next generation of BMX freestyle champions. 

The Queensland Academy of Sport is calling on young adrenaline junkies with a love for action sports to audition for its YouFor2032 Daredevils Program. 

YouFor2032, powered by RACQ, has partnered with AusCycling, Diving Australia, and Skate Australia to identify future elite athletes in "early specialisation" sports, where athletes often reach elite performance levels at a young age. 

So far, the program has discovered several emerging BMX freestyle talents, including Alirah Norris, 15, and Slater Lytton, 10. 

Since graduating from Daredevils, both riders have taken their skills to new heights and are now part of AusCycling’s National Talent Academy. 

Their continued progress with the Academy saw them both win national titles at the BMX Freestyle National Championships earlier this year.  

Slater, who has been competing since the age of five, and Alirah, who only began her BMX journey around two years ago, have both experienced rapid development in the sport.  

Alirah joined the Daredevils program in September 2023 and was immediately hooked. 

Alirah Norris in action.

“As soon as I started riding, I loved everything about it and knew I wanted to take it further,” she said.  

“I love the feeling of landing a new trick and the progression. I love the opportunities that BMX has given me. I have travelled to a couple of different countries competing already and met so many awesome people.” 

Alirah’s family even relocated to Queensland to help her develop her skills. 

As part of the National Talent Academy, riders benefit from world-class facilities, expert coaching, and regular training sessions that accelerate their growth. 

“We are able to ride twice a week at the hotbox and outbox at Carrara. The consistency has really helped my progression. The best part is that we have access to the foam pit so we can go and send new tricks,” Alirah said.  

For up-and-coming athletes, training alongside some of Australia’s top riders is a dream come true. Alirah credits star riders Jaie Toohey, Brandon Loupos, and Natalya Diehm for their guidance and support. 

“I would love to get some podiums and some world-firsts in our sport,” she said.  

Slater Lytton (centre) won the U11 national title.

For Slater, joining Daredevils was all about the fun and thrill of riding his bike. 

“I’ve been riding since I was five at my local skate park and competing for about four years now,” Slater says. “Daredevils gave me the chance to ride the hotbox and outbox, and it felt cool ‘cause I got to see other people ride and do tricks,” he said. 

The Queensland Academy of Sport will hold jam sessions and testing in Redcliffe and on the Gold Coast later this month for aspiring freestyle riders. 

Find out more at the Daredevils talent identification page.