A message for all you MX girls : If you can’t beat them, join them

Well you must be thinking how did a young lady like me get into such a mad laddish sport well it was because my brother was doing it. It took me ages to convince my dad I was really interested. Anyway he eventually brought me this beat up old CR80 and some 2^nd hand kit, and off we went to an old airfield to practise. My dad is not the most patient of people and I can honestly say I’m probably the reason he turned grey so quickly.

It felt like forever before I could pull away by myself, this was only the first hurdle I had to over come and trust me this was the first of many hurdle’s I had to face, and not forgetting the many rows with my dad along the way. Once I got a feel for the sport there was no stopping me. I entered my first race only 3 months after starting to ride, it was at Latchington with the EASSC and I still did not know how to change gear! Everyone was brilliant I got a few odd looks from the lad’s but on the whole they accepted the fact I was going to race and I wasn’t going to stop, or be intimidated by anyone or anything.

You don’t really see many girls in this sport but every year there is a race meeting especially for us ladies called `The British All Girls Championships`. Started with the help of the East Kent Club, and later by Portsmouth club run, the event was I believe the brain wave of Peter or Phil Holt. In my first ride at this championship the meeting was held at Elsworth Cambridgeshire, as many of you will know this is a superb track and very challenging, so for us it was great. I know what you lads are thinking. If it’s girls i bet it’s slow, well I guarantee you may think we’re the weaker sex but we’re still as good as you lot.

In total I raced for six years, going from a big wheel 80 to a CR125, then back to a KX100 and finally having my brothers CR tuned 80cc bike. I had many accidents but I always seemed to bounce. I remember racing with the EASSC and I was about to be lapped by Ryan Whincop but I changed my position and he fell off instead, he was not best pleased. I’ve only ever had one broken limb compared to my brother who has broken both legs, an ankle and had a compressed fracture of the spine.

Anyway it was at the 1998 all girls championship that I was having a really good day’s racing at Chippenham, when in the 3^rd race I was challenging for 4^th place when I collided with another rider in mid air and ended up tangled between both the bikes and consequently I broke my right leg. Unfortunately for me my leg never fully healed and I had to give up riding. I attended the presentation evening at the end of the year on crutches. There was another rider there from my group on crutches to, but Ben Rocks broke his tripping over a suitcase! All I want to say is any girl out there thinking about competing in this exciting sport then this is definitely the most interesting and challenging sport out there. The boys aren’t bad either. So come on girls give it a go, don’t let the boys have all the fun!!