Booval’s Sophia Preston (in the pink helmet) competing in the Australian National Championships. She had to chase the whole way before getting in front in the last corner.
Sophia Preston, 8, recently competed at the Australian BMX Championships in Bunbury.
For the second year in a row she won her nine-year-old age class to hold on to her national title.
Sophia also competed and took home the title in the Oceania Championships in the same class.
Sophia said she started riding and racing BMX when she was just three years old.
“My older brother was racing so I started doing it too,” she said.
“Here in Ipswich, girls can race against boys if they want to, but not in the big comps.
“It harder because they are normally faster than the girls so I have to work harder when I race them, that’s how I get my extra training.
“I train hard and like eating pizza, pepperoni is my favourite.”
At the age of just seven, the BMX star first performed on the international stage.
Sophia is currently the world number two rider after coming second at world championships in South Carolina, USA in July 2017.
It has sometimes been a bumpy road.
“I have had some crashes and have broken three bones, my collarbone, my wrist and finger,” Sophia said.
“Dad always told me if you crash and if you are not too hurt, try and get back up and finish the race. But if you are too hurt, just lay there.”
But a few crashes haven’t put her off.
The grade three Sacred Heart School pupil is competing in this weekend’s BMX comp, a shootout series, here at home on Ipswich’s recently upgraded BMX track.
“The new upgrades have been great, I like the bigger hill. It’s sealed now, most BMX tracks are just dirt,” she said.
Sophia’s big focus now is looking forward to the Queensland City Championships being held at Ipswich in July.