How Shepparton BMX Club went from two feet underwater to BMX Racing Nationals in 12 months

Over the course of two days in October last year, more than 75mm of rain fell on Shepparton, with more than 151mm of rainfall recorded for the month.

At its peak, the Goulburn River in Shepparton surpassed 12 meters. Emergency crews conducted more than 200 flood rescues on one day alone, and the Australian Insurance Council reports that $473 million in claims have been made in Victoria following the floods.

Shepparton BMX Club didn’t escape the destruction as floodwater ruined the track and critical infrastructure, and it’s only thanks to the heroic efforts of club members, supporters, and the local council that the club has been able to rebuild in readiness for the 2023 AusCycling BMX Racing National Championships.

Speaking to AusCycling recently, Shepparton BMX Club co-president Ben Fitzsimmons recalled the impending sense of disaster in the days and hours leading up to the flooding.

“We knew it was going to come. We just didn't think it was going to be quite as extravagant and big as what it was. We we're just sitting here listening to the news reports and everything like that from what Seymour went through, because it would come back down through that way and once it hit, it really come up really quickly,” Fitzsimmons said.

“You’re basically just watching water come up the road and just flooding everything, really. Our club was probably a good two feet underwater or more. So, that pretty much just destroyed the surface of the track that we had. And the clubrooms, they filled up. Everything in it got knocked over and damaged.

“[The floodwater] lifted the track up and it just peeled back and washed off, and then once it dried out, it was just flaky and brittle and crumbling.”

Shepparton BMX

Fitzsimmons describes how the club did their best to limit the damage where they could, but despite their best efforts, a virtual catalogue of critical equipment was lost.

“I went around to the club and I picked up most of the valuable stuff that we had lying around, got it into a higher spot, just like the expensive equipment that we had. Yeah, you try and brace yourselves, but no one really ever thought it was going to come up as high as what it did.

“During the floods, there wasn't that much help, really. The whole town went under, so there was a lot of services trying to save people's homes, and rescue people from floods and stuff like that. But as far as the track and the club, it just got left there. There wasn't much you could really do.

“So basically, our clubhouse has gone … The shed’s still standing, so we are able to lock equipment and stuff back up again, but everything in that has gone, like fridges, freezers, bikes. Riding gear, that's all gone.

“All our tents and everything like that, that we stored in there. Track equipment for maintenance, most of that went. All the lining on the shed, everything like that, we had to basically gut and pull down. So, it's basically just back to a shed now with a few bits and pieces back in it.”

Shepparton BMX

Fitzsimmons says the club did their best to keep members engaged while the track was being rebuilt, attending race meetings down in Melbourne or at Bendigo, and insurance payouts and state government grants provided the financial means to replace much of what was lost.

However, the club was dealt another blow recently when it was announced that Victoria was pulling out from staging the 2026 Commonwealth Games, as Shepparton was to be the host venue for BMX Racing. It would have been the first time BMX Racing was included in the Commonwealth Games.

“Yeah, that was pretty disappointing, just to hear that it's not going to happen at the moment. But there's other events that we're going to try and look for in the future to try and hold,” Fitzsimmons adds.

“There's always talks of like the world supercross rounds, another nationals, or even the world titles. There's talks of all that going on, but as far as putting that into motion, as yet we're not too sure.”

Thankfully, with track repairs nearing completion and the Nationals now confirmed however, a sense of optimism is building around what Fitzsimmons describes as a social and family-oriented club.

“[The track builders] are back again these last couple of weeks now and they’re finishing it off and doing the top surface. Once that gets finished, then we can start getting back into the rest of the track and making it all neat and tidy and getting up to scratch for the event.”

“I think it's pretty positive for everyone. Everyone's sort of up and about and they're looking forward to that week. Hopefully we can keep it going after that, and gain some more members and everyone comes back after that with a bit more motivation after watching it.

“[I’m looking forward to] just having everyone around. Seeing the community up and about, and really supporting the BMX sport and having our members really enjoying themselves.”

2023 AusCycling BMX Racing National Championships

Location: Shepparton, Victoria
Dates: 30 October - 5 November 2023
More information: 2023 AusCycling BMX Racing National Championships

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The 2023 AusCycling BMX Racing National Championships are proudly supported by the Greater Shepparton City Council.

Images: Ben Fitzsimmons/Lance Mahuika