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Brigitte
Pink
We hear
that you had a bad fall while you were in America for the Worlds. Tell us
what happened.
Yes well the majority of my trip to America was spent as a spectator. I
went over to the USA a little early to race in the ABA Worlds. This race
was held the weekend before the worlds in Kettering Ohio. There was a
National round on the Friday which I raced in and that was great fun. It
was the first race of the ABA Worlds on the Saturday that I had the crash.
I was monoing through a set of doubles whist going pretty fast and looped
out. Any way one of the downfalls of wearing clips is that I couldn't get
my feet out of my clips because I had a fair bit of speed I got air off
the back lip of the doubles and landed fair on my tail bone. It might not
sound that dramatic but if any of you have ever landed on your tail bone I
am sure you know how much it hurts.
What damage did you do?
I was taken to hospital where they did a few x-rays and determined I had
fractured a vertebrae situated around the middle of my back as well as my
sacrum which is the second last portion of your tail bone.
We hear that you are still not able to ride a
bike. Is this true? If so, when are you able to ride again? When will be
your next race meeting?
I couldn't ride for six weeks after my accident but was allowed to swim so
that was about the extent of my physical activity for six weeks after I
got home. Now my back is fine and although I had to take it easy at first
when I ride now it feels perfectly normal. My first race back was the QLD
State Championships and it was good to be back.
Is GT still going in Australia or are you looking
for a new sponsor?
The GT situation is kind of confusing at the moment and there are a number
of different rumours going around at the moment regarding the future of
the company. At first it was sold and then it was back on the market but
apparently it has been sold again. AS far as I know GT is always going to
be around. It's a fantastic company that has been around for a long time
so it's not going to be that easy to get rid of it. As far as GT still
going to be in Australia as long as they are still making the bikes
Australia will still be importing them and sponsorship shouldn't be a
problem.
Is it hard fitting in university studies with
your BMX racing?
Yes it is extremely hard but I mean it's been my decision to race
competitively and study at the same time. You do have to make sacrifices
at and times your studies may suffer a bit because of your racing and visa
versa with racing and training being pushed aside for study. Although in a
way it gives you a good balance in the respect that it allows you get out
and do something you love and that is good for you rather than being stuck
in the books all day. So yes it is hard but there really isn't any
pressure because it's my decision in the end.
What are you studying?
At the moment I am studying at the Australian College of Natural Medicine
and undergoing a Diploma of Remedial Therapies. It's a two year course and
consists of subjects such as massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, sports
injury management as well as sports massage just to name a few.
Were you disappointed not having a junior elite
girls class at the nationals?
Yes I was very disappointed. The fact that last year in Darwin I was at
the bottom of the 17-18 year class because I was only 17 this year was
meant to be the easier one as I was 18. I think what makes it worse is
that I didn't even get to race the Junior Elite class at the World's this
year because of my accident and now I am going to be racing Senior Elite
which is just going to make it so much harder. Probably what annoyed me
the most was that if all the 17 and 18 year old girls raced together we
would of had a class but I suppose nothing can be done about that now.
Have you got any gossip from the after party?
Well everyone went to a club called New York. It was fun although going
out with BMXer's is always fun. The BMXer's are usually always the ones
running a muck at the clubs so you can always pick then. Not too much
gossip from that night but I did get to see a few unique dancing styles.
Sorry Danny but yours in particular was very interesting (that's Danny
Galea). Through convincing the DJ that they were national BMX Stars which
the majority of the guys are they managed to scam there way up on to the
stage and pull off some trademark moves.
Do you have any funny stories to tell from your
BMX travels?
Not really now that I think about it. I have missed a few planes on the
way to races but I eventually get there. Luke Madill's 21st B'Day party
was also quite interesting. It's amazing what a few drinks and Karaoke can
do.
We hear that the girl pro class in America is
awesome, do you hope to go back there and complete later?
Yes the Pro girl classes over in America are amazing and even I didn't
fully expect them to be as large as they were until I saw it for myself.
Racing as a girl over here I think I became a little complacent in
relation to the way I rode. Once I got over there and saw 16 year old
girls jumping jumps that I couldn't jump I realised I still had a lot of
work to do. The atmosphere over there is amazing with all the company mack
trucks and tents it really makes you want to get out there and race.
Before every pro race they put some psych up music on to get you pumped as
well as calling out your names. Some times the girls classes over there
have semis and I am not exaggerating when I say they ride just as hard as
the guys. It's great to see and once you have experienced it all you want
to do is go back over and race again. So yes I would love to go back over
there some day but I think I still have a bit more training that needs to
be done.
You are a really good jumper. Who taught you how
to jump? Can you do any tricks?
Thanks I love jumping and although it's scary at first you get used to it.
At times I still get a little scared but if you have all your safety gear
on and really believe you can do it I just think to my self what is the
worst that can happen and you will never know unless you give it a go.
Sometimes you will pull it off and sometimes you won't. The first time you
try more often than not it's not going to be the smoothest jump you have
ever done but as long as you made it now you can only improve by
practicing. When I fist started jumping I used to get really frustrated
because I was really rough but I kept practicing and now it is just second
nature to me. I used to live in the country and was really lucky because I
had a great BMX track in my back yard. This is where I learnt to jump with
a bit of help from my twin brother who also used to race. He is still big
a help today if I am having trouble with a jump. I really can't do any
spectacular tricks although I wish I could.
Have you got any tips for girls learning how to
jump?
I know it is scary at first and that's natural. Basically start on little
jumps and work your way up. It would also probably help if you could find
someone who races and is willing to help you out. I had my brother which
was a big help but if you have someone who can help you out with your
technique it helps. I know the guys make it look so easy so we get
frustrated when we can't do a basic jump let alone what they do but keep
trying. I think when I was learning basically I had to remember to peddle
as fast as I could right up to the jump still making sure my peddles where
level so your weight is evenly distributed. That way it's easier to stay
balanced. Also it's a great idea to start on table top or put some boards
in between a set of doubles. That way nothing can go too wrong if you
don't make it.
Do you use clip pedals? If so, were they hard to
get used to?
I must admit at first I really didn't want to use clips but now I can't
ride without them. I definitely believe they help in racing especially out
of the gate and with jumping but it is a good idea to alternate between
clips and platforms once in a wile. I would recommend riding with your
platforms about once a week just to keep the correct peddling style
happening. I know when I started to use clips for years I didn't use
anything else and I developed a really bad peddling style. It took me a
long time to correct it so if you use clips try to ride with some
platforms every once and a while and you will save your self a lot of
hassle in the long run. Honestly I didn't find them hard to get used to at
all but I was quite a lot older when I started using clips than most of
the kids today. I would still recommend allowing young riders to develop a
good riding and jumping technique before allowing them to use clips. Trust
me it will pay off in the long run.
What do you do for training? It must be hard to
fit in your training with your university studies.
Once again yes it is extremely hard. You do definitely have to make
sacrifices but if you really want to do well you will be prepared to make
them. I try to ride my bike every day. When you are younger weights isn't
such a big issue but at the moment I am trying to get stronger so I'm
spending a bit of time in the gym. Sprints is also a very important part
of training as well as skills and gate starts. I believe they are all just
as important as one another so I aim at perfecting all of them.
Do you have any training tips for the younger
girls?
Probably my biggest training tip would be to ride your bike every day. As
long as you are on your bike having fun you are training without even
knowing it. Variation is also very important when it comes to training.
The more variation you have in your training schedule means you wont
become bored with training and believe me I know what that feels like.
It's great if you can have fun training because the more you will do it
and the better you will get. But don't expect it to be fun all the time
because to be good you do have to work hard but it doesn't mean you can't
have fun. I would also recommend finding someone or a group of people who
you can ride and train with. This way you can motivate each other, you
have someone you can gauge yourself with and you will be surprised how
much you will improve without even knowing it. It might be hard to find a
number of girls to ride with but usually the guys are more than happy to
help out here.
You are looked up to by many girls BMXers. What
does it feel like?
I love it when people come up to me at a race and ask for my autograph. I
get a few letters from young riders one young lady in particular. Hi
Ashley if you are reading this but honestly when some one looks up to me I
feel really honoured. I believe this is an extremely important part of our
sport and if I can inspire a young rider and be a positive role model I
know I have done something to improve the sport and that is important to
me.
Who did you look up to when you were younger?
I have to say Tanya Burrows and Tai-Lee Muxlow. If you don't know who
these two girls are they raced when I was younger and won numerous World
Championships. They weren't afraid to mix it with the boys either.
You have achieved a great deal in BMX. What would
you say has been your most memorable moment/achievement in BMX?
I am going to have to say that winning National Titles has been the
highlight's of my career. They are all as equally important as one another
and although I have placed in World Championships there is something about
winning a National Title that cant be matched. Also being given the
opportunity to travel to a number of international destinations to
represent my country I would also have to say has been a big highlight. I
love traveling and meeting new and interesting people and experiencing
different cultures and to be given that opportunity for doing something I
love is a bonus.
Is there anything you haven't achieved yet, but
would like to?
I have always wanted to win a World Championship Title.
Have you had any disappointments in your BMX
career?
Yes definitely BMX is full of disappointments but if you get through them
it really does make you a better rider and person in the long run. Coming
second in 1998 Melbourne world's after clipping out in the first straight
was a big disappointment. Traveling to America and then not being able to
compete was also really hard. Probably not so much the fact that I
couldn't compete but all the wasted hours I spent training was hard.
You travel all over Australia to race, what is
your favorite race meeting to attend?
Yes my racing has taken me right around Australia and there are so many
cool places and races I have been to it is hard to choose one. I think I
am going to have to say the GT Masters race which is held at Liverpool in
Sydney around the start of April. Probably because they really make an
effort to create a great atmosphere there and I love the track.
Do you think you could make a living out of
racing BMX racing in Australia?
No definitely not. For a start it is a lot harder for the girls and not
even the guys can really make a living out of it over here. If you want to
make a living out of racing you have to go to America and you have to be
VERY GOOD. BMX just doesn't get the publicity and exposure as it does in
the USA and as a result doesn't get the sponsorship. I do know of one girl
in America who is on a base salary of $1000 a month to ride and that's
before prize money and co sponsorship money.
How do you think we could recruit more girls in
BMX? Could BMX be made more appealing to girls in anyway?
Ultimately BMX is portrayed as a guys sport and the majority of girls who
hear about it probably believe you have to be really butch to be involved
in the sport. I personally think that a lot of girls would love to do the
sport but truly believe it is a sport for guys and they are worried about
how they might look to people who have done the sport for a while. In this
respect the all girl camps and perhaps training days would be a good idea
once they are interested in order to build their confidence.
What do you like to do in your spare time (if you
have any)?
I love the beach and hanging out with my friends. I'm also a big fan of
shopping, going to the movies and dancing. I go to Funk dance classes once
a week which is so much fun. Although I love BMX I truly believe you have
to have other interests outside of racing.
Who do you are think are the best looking aussie
guy bmxer's?
This is a hard one and I wouldn't want to give them a big head but it has
got to be my two team mates. Johno Johnson and Michel Robinson. I am lucky
to have two really good looking guys as team mates.
Do you have any words of wisdom for the younger
girls?
BMX is meant to be fun but if you want to be really good at times it might
feel like a drag. If you keep at it and put the work in it will all pay
off in long run and the opportunities BMX has to offer are endless if you
want it bad enough. Most of all though HAVE FUN and everything will fall
into place.
This is the thank you part, so fire away.
Firstly I would like to thank my sponsor GT and Brian Pearse for all your
support, I cant express how grateful I am for everything you have done for
me. I would also like to thank Sick Chick for caring. You are doing a
great job so keep up the good work. Thanks to my family, friends and
everyone who has helped me out in one way or another. Hopefully you all
know who you are THANK YOU!!
Thanks heaps for your time Brigitte and we hope
to see you tearing up the tracks again soon.