Forum
Contact us at:
sicchicsofbmx@yahoo.com.au
Kate Eliott
Tell
us a bit about yourself.
Kate Eliott. Age 20 and I work at Rock and Road Cycles in Wangaratta as a
trainee bike mechanic. Favourite colour is blue.
What type of bike do you ride?
Ironhorse. Blue of course.
Who are your sponsors?
Rock and Road Cycles
Congratulations on winning the nationals in
Tasmania. Who did you think would be your toughest competitor?
Thank you very much. I always thought the toughest rider to beat was
Mardi. She is a great rider and a great person.
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?
We moved to within 100 metres of the local track 10 and a half years ago
and I have been racing since then. I’ll keep riding until I can’t be
bothered getting on my bike.
What major results and achievements have you had?
4 World in Melbourne 1998
1 Australia in Tassie in 2002
1 Victoria four years running
Winning the Keith Williams medal for most outstanding female rider at a
Victorian State Title
Becoming a coach
What has been your most memorable moment in BMX?
Winning 1 Australia, racing the worlds, and of course the party in Darwin
in 2000.
What has been your biggest disappointment in BMX?
Breaking my collarbone 3 weeks before Nerang Aussies.
Who would you say is/has been your toughest
competitor?
Although I didn’t race her at Tassie I would have to say Tanya Bailey.
What are your future goals/ambitions? Is there
anything that you haven’t achieved yet, but would like to?
Well I’m number 1 in my State and Australia, so I wouldn’t mind
topping it off with a 1 world. We can all dream.
Are you planning to race overseas in the future?
I would have to start training if I was to consider going overseas, but
yes I would like to some day give it a try.
What states have you raced in in Australia?
All of them except Queensland.
What is your favourite race meeting to attend and
why?
That would have to be most definitely the Aussies. Coz I get to see
everyone I don’t see through the year and we race and party hard.
What is the racing scene like for females in
Victoria?
Not many females race in Victoria. Emma Franklin is my main competition,
but at the bigger meets female riders come from other States and the
racing is great. When racing my Regional Series I race 19+ men.
Living so far out of Melbourne, do you find it
hard to get to races and stay focused on racing?
Having to travel 3 to 4 hours to Melbourne (time depends on which track)
and then race isn’t easy, but something I have gotten used to over the
years. The hardest thing is travelling home and having to face work/school
the next day.
What do you think could be done to improve the
racing scene in Australia?
Raise the profile of the sport through advertising/promotion. Every bike
shop ad I have ever seen only shows road or mountain bikes very rarely BMX
bikes, yet all shops sell them.
How do you think more females could be encouraged
to start racing BMX? How do you think the females that are already
involved in BMX could be encouraged to stay in the sport?
Again promotion. Most girls think BMXers are the guys they see on the
street jumping gutters or sliding along park benches and purely a guy
thing. Show them that you don’t have to be rough and ready to race and
more girls could be encouraged to start racing.
Keeping them in the sport is difficult because they all want something
different.
You are looked up to by many girl BMXers. What
does it feel like?
Really, I didn’t know that. I think it’s great.
Did you look up to anybody when you were younger?
If so, who and why? Is there anybody these days that you look up to and
admire?
I don’t think I ever looked at anyone in particular and said “I’m
gonna be like them some day”. But I do look at people and wish I could
do this or that like them. Mostly I admire people who can be themselves.
You are a great jumper. Who taught you how to
jump and do you have any advice for the younger riders who would like to
learn how to jump?
I first started jumping when I was about 12. Because I am the only girl at
our club, all the guys used to push me into jumping which is really the
wrong way to learn. If you want to jump ask a jumper to show you properly
and don’t jump anything till you are ready. But when you do start
jumping just go for it. It’s a great feeling.
Did you used to beat the boys at club meetings?
How did they handle this?
Yes, I did. It was the best. I remember one guy getting bagged so much by
his mate’s that he got beaten by a girl, he quit racing. But as we all
got older they became bigger and stronger so now I have to ride smarter to
get a placing.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of
BMX? What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love Badminton and listening to music. My spare time is spent with
friends, writing letters and catching up on my sleep.
What is your favourite music to listen to?
Pretty much everything except heavy metal and rap. I don’t like songs
that I can’t understand because I love to sing along.
Do you have a favourite TV show?
You can’t laugh, but I never miss Buffy or Dark Angel.
Do you have any words of wisdom for the younger
riders?
Just go out there and do your best for yourself and nobody else. Try to
set a goal for yourself each time you race, like jumping a new jump or if
the same rider beats you all the time work on getting closer to them. Be
happy that you achieved your goal and did your best even if your best is
not first. Be yourself, be safe and be happy.
This is the thank you part, so fire away.
The biggest thanks to Mum and Dad for the money and years of travelling. I
wouldn’t have achieved what I have done without their love and support.
To my racing buddies thanks for keeping me racing when I was about to quit
and thanks for the great times on and off the track. Let’s keep it
coming.
Below are some photos of Renee in action.