Forum
Contact us at:
sicchicsofbmx@yahoo.com.au
Arielle Martin
Tell
us a bit about yourself
Arielle Martin, I'm 19 years old. I will be a Junior this fall at Brigham
Young University studying exercise science. I also put a few hours a week
in at a physical therapy clinic. It's a good job to have when you get
hurt.
What type of bike do you ride?
Staats cromolly pro.
Who are your
sponsors?
Staats Bikes, E.A.G.L BMX, Cytosport, ATI, Zeal Optics, Shimano, Troy Lee
Designs, Ogio, Ciari,Sun Rims, Thompson, Answer BMX.
How did you get involved in BMX and how
long have you been racing for? How long do you think you will keep racing
for?
My dad raced when I was a little kid and I begged my parents to
let me ride. They got me my first bike, a redline mini for my 5th
birthday. I guess that means I have been racing 15 years this July. I plan
on racing full time until the Olympic team is decided in 2007. If I make
the team I may hang it up after the Olympics in 2008 and go to PA school
or Grad school, if not then I will go ahead with physician’s assistant
school in 2007. I will never stop riding my bike though....
What major results and achievements have you had?
Amateur accomplishments
4 NBL National # 1 titles
4 US Open/regional #1 Titles
3 ABA Gold Cup #1 Titles
Top 5 ABA Nag Rider 5 years running Repeat state champion & district #
1
Pro Accomplishments
2004 ABA # 2 Women's Pro
2004 NBL # 4 Elite Women
NBL 2003 # 2 Pro series
NBL 2003 # 3 plate series
ABA 2003 # 6 Pro Women
2002 Girl Pro points leader and in # 2 UCI worlds points when I fractured
my back in 2 places
NBL 2001 Supergirls #3
ABA 2001 Womens Pro # 5
What has been your most memorable moment in BMX?
Probably my first national #1 titles in class and cruiser, that or my
first pro win in Phoenix in 2002.
What has been your biggest disappointment in BMX?
When I fell last year at the NBL Grands in the main event and
let the title go right through my hands.
You have had some major injuries, how do you
overcome them?
My religion has made a huge difference in how I look at things.
With my back it was very hard to wake up each morning with the notion I
would never ride again. It was with the support of my family, friends, and
a physical therapist who believed in me that got me back on my bike.
What do you like most about BMX?
The Adrenaline rush. Hands down.
What do you least like about BMX?
The drama and politics.
What is the racing like for girls in USA? Does
this differ between ABA and NBL?
The racing here is awesome, it is very competitive. In ABA and NBL the
same top 9 or so girls are in both. The difference between them is the
moto fill in NBL that inflates our numbers. Qualifying in ABA is harder
because there are fewer girls and all the ones there are fast.
Can females make a living out of racing
BMX in the USA?
In my opinion, no. Hopefully that will change soon but right now its
pretty tough for a girl to get a sponsor let alone one that will pay them.
Who would you say is/has been your toughest
competitor?
Kim Hayashi and Sam Cools.
What other countries have you raced in? Have you
ever raced in Australia? Do you plan on racing in Australia in future?
I have raced in Canada but I don't think that really counts... lol. I
would love to race in Australia, I will be in Paris this year for the
worlds and hopefully when the worlds return to the land of Oz, I will be
there.
Who is your favourite male and female bmx’er
and why?
That’s a tough one. I think for male I will have to go with Afro Bob
DeWilde. He looked out for me last year when we were on tour together with
Staats and tells me when I am going slow and why. For Females I would have
to say Elise Post. She has the most potential I have ever seen in an
amateur. I always joke that I will retire when she turns pro....
What Australian female bmx’ers have you
heard of and what do you think of when think about these riders?
I don't know too many. Probably Natarsha Williams sticks out the most in
my mind. She came and lived with me when she first came over to the USA
when I was 13. She was my mentor and influenced me
a lot when I was young. I have also heard a lot about Melissa
Mankowski, she talks to me every now and then on the comp. From what I
understand, she is a pretty good rider.
What do you do for training and how often
do you train?
I am doing something most every day of the week. Gym, sprints, track,
skills ride whatever it is, the most I will take is maybe one day off. A
fellow Aussie does my training programs for me... Grant White.
He is awesome, I have been with him for a year now and he has made
a huge difference in my riding. I study training and conditioning
techniques at school and when I was looking at what kind of training
program I wanted, I couldn't find anyone here in the states that I felt
was educated enough in other training areas and was BMX specific as well.
When I hooked up with him, I saw he was exactly what I wanted so it has
been good.
What is your favourite TV show?
Gilmore Girls or Viva La Bam.
What is your favourite type of
music?
I'm a Punk Rocker.
Do you play any other sports or have any other hobbies besides BMX?
I race MTX and ride my MTB a lot also. Any kind of sport is fun to
play...Basketball, volleyball, racquetball. I am so competitive I have fun
doing anything.
What do you do
in your spare time?
Hang out with friends, play my guitar, sleep, ride.
What are your future goals/ambitions? Is there anything that you haven’t
achieved yet, but would like to?
I haven’t gotten a #1 pro title yet, so I guess that’s next on my
list, and the Olympics of course!
Is there anybody you would like to thank or
anything else you would like to add?
My parents first and foremost. All my sponsors. Grant White.
All the friends and family that have supported me these 15 long years.
Thanks to Arielle for allowing
us to use some pictures from her website. Check out her website at www.ariellemartin.web1000.com.