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Natarsha Williams
Thanks to
Jerry from BMXMania for the photos
of Natarsha.
You
have won numerous titles and awards throughout your racing career, which
title means the most to you and why?
I think all of the Titles and awards that I have won, all meant a lot to
me at the time. They all had their own special feeling. You set your goals
to achieve certain titles or meets and it is a big buzz when you manage to
get that special Title. You then work harder to then get to the next
level.
I think you just get a lot more recognition winning a World Championship
or an International Title in Elite classes, which helps to make it feel
that more special.
You have spent time racing in Australia, Europe
and USA. How is the racing in Europe and USA different to racing in
Australia?
You get a lot more races to attend with a lot more female riders resulting
in a big class of riders, and a lot more Prize money at these events. The
other differences are that in Europe they really promote their race meets,
they have posters everywhere around the town that the event is in. Also
plenty of media coverage.
In the US the Sanctioned body and probably help from sponsorship put a lot
more into the events. The races have a lot more hype. I also think the
fact that riders get help to the races through sponsorship helps a lot.
Which country do you enjoy racing the most in?
I think it would have to be America as there is racing almost every
weekend, the prize money is good and the sponsors really look after you. I
always get a good class of riders.
Racing can be done as a real professional over there. The other big thing
I have found is they do not dwell on little mundane rules, as this type of
thing really ruins the sport.
Are there lots more girls racing in Europe and
USA compared to Australia? If so, why do you think this is the case?
In Europe I always got semi finals and quite often quarters. They only run
elite classes, no challenge classes for 17 and over.
In the USA – At NBL at most national races we get 30 to 50 girls as once
you turn 16 you can only race Supergirls.
In ABA we do not get as many girls as they have amateur classes for
females over 16 , so they have a choice.
Of course the countries are bigger, but I also think the females are
looked after pretty well with prizemoney. and that helps. With good prize
money a lot of races and sponsorship, you can afford to do it more full
time, it becomes a career and not just a hobby.
What is it like going to a foreign country to
live and race BMX? Is it scary
leaving your home country? Are you accepted by others straight away or
does it take a while for others to accept you?
It was not scary leaving the country that was exciting like going on an
adventure it is also a worry though sometimes not knowing how you are
going to survive, after awhile it becomes like second nature. It was scary
at first and quite intimidating the first time in the US as there is so
much hype about the American girls and I was a bit intimidated, but at the
same time it was very exciting.
In Europe I was accepted quite well the first two years, but then a few
did not like the fact that I was over there taking all their money. They
introduced a ban on anyone that did not hold a European passport from
competing in the European Championships. I think they have seen
commonsense since then and have now dropped that rule.
But I really think you will always have some problems but I have also made
many good friendships all around the world, so that outweighs any of the
bad times.
Do you race mainly indoors or outdoors in USA? Do
you like racing indoors or outdoors more?
I race mainly outdoors with some indoors, I have two indoor tracks very
close to me I use to train on as well as an outdoor.
I prefer racing outdoor as the tracks usually have bigger jumps and better
tracks. Indoor is a bit more restricted, its better point is that the
meeting usually has a lot more hype.
Do you have to change your training or bike set
up when you switch from indoor to outdoor racing?
I never change my set up, gearing remains the same for all races.
Tell us what it’s like to race BMX for a
living? What does an average day entail for you?
It is my dream come true. I have over previous years stayed with BMX
families, last year I had an apartment by myself, but this year I hope to
share with my training partner. Of course I get sick of training
especially towards the end of the season, you get a bit burnt out. It is
good to have some time off. I am having about 6 weeks rest at the moment.
My average day is not that exciting really I work a couple of times a week
waitressing to stop the boredom and mix with others. Usually do sprints
once a day and some form of Gym or fitness work.
What is your favourite race meeting to attend?
What is your favourite Australian race meeting to attend?
My favourite is probably the European championships as the tracks were
always good and challenging. The other thing was that they race under UCI
rules where we ran in blocks, so it only took something like 2 to 3 hours
and we were finished our races. I enjoy that style of racing.
I always enjoyed the Australian Championships for the reason you got to
catch up with friends each year.
Have you had any major disappointments in your
racing career?
Oh after 21 years, to many to mention, I think if you look at these in a
positive way though it helps make you stronger.
Who
would you say has been your toughest competitor?
Probably Jamie Lilly from the USA. She is very quick out of the gate,
beats most A Pro’s out, plus she has a lightning first straight. Jamie
can be very hard to beat and she is very consistent.
BMX Mania Traning Camp
Tarsha is on the right, Marie McGilvary
is on the left
What does the future hold for you? How long do
you think you will keep racing for?
That I could not tell you. It has been a lifetime full of surprises. If
someone had told me in my early times that I would travel the World doing
a sport that I loved, I would never have believed them. Now I have been to
17 countries and won almost every Title that I could possible win.
How long will I keep racing for, well I am 26 now and I have no great
plans to retire, I think I will know in myself when I am ready. At the
moment I am still enjoying it too much.
What are your future goals/ambitions? Is there
anything that you haven’t achieved yet, but would like to?
I have not won the ABA Title yet, because I do not race enough of them to
get my points up. In 2001 I finished 3rd overall, so maybe that could be a
goal for me. Other than maybe learn to get killer gates before I retire.
Will you ever race in Australia again and race a
national titles? While you are home do you have any plans to race the Gold
Coast nationals or the Track Attack in Victoria?
Maybe a Gold Coast National or Track Attack at some time as I seem to come
home over that time. Not a national as it clashes with the Easter classic
in Florida and they are a very important meeting.
This year I am just having a rest, but may get a chance to visit the
Ashmore meeting as I will be visiting relatives over that time
What do you think could be done to improve the
racing scene in Australia?
Better promotion of the major races to the media and play up the top
riders more. Perhaps get rid of the trivial rules and get back to basics.
I personally am not fond of the concept of three final finals and that
comes from being a female. There were many times the girls did not get
enough riders for a deadman final , so our winner was decided on points. I
do not know what other girls think but I detest point’s races. I like
the one lap no crap. It is much more exciting to race and watch, besides
people then know who the winner was. Now it seems that all the larger
Australian races are having this three final final, which means that again
we are back to the good old points races. We fight so hard to get girls
numbers up so we can have a final and are being forced even if we have the
numbers, to still have a points race.
You are a great role model and ambassador for
Australia. Do you have any advice for others who would like to follow in
your footsteps and race overseas?
Definitely do it. Do not give up after the first attempt either, because
sometimes it takes a bit to get known and get used to different race
scenes
You have a lot of sponsors. Who are they? Is it
easier to pick up sponsorship in USA than Australia?
My sponsors are Wooden Wheels/Entegee, SunRingle, Redline, Fox Racing,
Troy Lee Designs, Answer, Bulleye Visuals, Maxxis and ATI.
Sponsorship is bigger and you tend to get far more than Australia, but it
also is getting harder to get in the USA as well, it is just a case of
making a name for yourself.
Do the male pros, officials and spectators
encourage girls to race in USA? Is there a difference compared to
Australia?
Yes if you work hard at what you do, you get the respect. The Pro’s
whether male or female are treated really good in both Europe and the US.
In American the officials go out of their way for us, our needs are always
met. We get lots of practice time and warm up laps, and parents and kids
do not complain about that, they enjoy watching us ride, and it becomes
the younger kids goal to be a Pro one day so they to can have the special
treatment we get. The Pro’s are promoted and the officials use this to
their advantage for sponsorship dollars and this than eventually trickles
to the juniors and will give them a future.
I do not think that this happens in Australia, as it seems to be more
concerned about the juniors, I do not have gripes about that, but it does
not help the sport to grow, to get the recognition for the sport you must
promote your elite, just like cricket, football and tennis to name a few.
How does the prize money in USA compare to
Australia? (eg do they use an equity basis, is there equal prize money or
separate male and female prize pools). Do you have to pay the same entry
fees as the male pros or do you pay less entry fees if you race for less
prize money?
The prize money is a lot better for girls than in Australia. The guy’s
of course are more marketed so they naturally get more money.
We do not have a gender equity rule in the USA. At all Pro series races
for NBL races the prize pool works off our rider count.
The least amount of money is $1000 per day it goes up in brackets from
there, going up to $2500 if we have 25 girls or over.
I am not sure about ABA but I think it goes on rider count as well, I do
not do that many ABA races, so I have not taken that much notice.
As for the entry fee the girls pay the same fee as the amateurs and not
the Pro fee.
How much prize money do you win in a year of
racing in the USA? How does this compare to the prize money you would win
in a year in Europe or Australia?
Lets put it this way, I do some waitressing just to stop the boredom and
to get to meet other people only. It is better than Europe even, the money
was reasonably good in Europe if you did not have to pay any keep, but
sponsorship for me was not happening over there. Also there were not
enough races as well.
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 was basically encouraged from a young age as I raced against the boys a
lot. I also followed my younger brother so that helped. As I got older I
would watch younger male riders to gauge if I could attempt a jump.
Most girls have a problem, as they are scared of failure, which holds them
back. If you want to excel you have to overcome that fear. Even I still
get scared at first attempt of a new jump, but I will not let it get the
better of me. I think you should start on smaller jumps to gain confidence
in being in the air and particularly the landing. As you get that jump
dialled then go into it slower learning to use your body to help you over.
Too many girls rely on speed then dead sailor jumps. As you get into
bigger jumps you have to work harder to get over so you have to learn to
use your body and how to adjust it for whatever jump
You grew up in far north Queensland. I assume
there wasn’t many girls up there that raced. Did you find it hard to
keep interested in BMX and motivated?
Not really as we travelled away a lot too many different races. We even
spent 5 months living and racing in Sydney area. There were also a lot
more tracks around in those younger days and a lot more riders
Tarsha in her BMX Mania clothes
Did you used to beat the boys at club meetings?
How did they handle this?
Yes I always raced the boys except for the larger race meetings. Even at
Carnivals I opted to race the boys. Most were fine, but you get the
occasional ones that do not like it, and some try to take you out. I think
you have to learn to dish it back, they soon back off.
You are looked up to by people all over the
world? What does this feel like?
It is good to know people appreciate you as a rider. I think that
encourages you to ride and perform better. Knowing that you are an
inspiration to other riders and help them to set goals for themselves is
even better. Because this is a great sport and to have more of our females
go on to race elite is crucial to its future.
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?
Not
really anyone to greatly in BMX, they are riders at some stage that you
admire their skills. I think my inspiration came from The World Tri
athlete Brad Beven. He is a very determined athlete and he also is from
Far North Queensland not far from my home town
Who do you think are the most promising up and
coming female bmx’ers in Australia?
Australia has a lot of strong female competitors that could go on to do
well. I would not like to name any in particular, as sometimes there are
those that do not excel until later years. I know in myself that I became
more dedicated and determined from about the age of 19.
How do you think we could recruit more girls into
BMX? Could BMX be made more appealing to girls in anyway?
Perhaps a lot more female beginner clinics and girls only camps. I think
in Australia there is not a big enough future to hold the girls. It is too
expensive to get to meetings and prize money does not cover the expenses.
If you are only doing local events it can become very boring, as there is
no challenge, so you lose interest.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of
BMX? What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love going to Moto and Supercross, Concerts, Dancing basically any thing
to do with having fun I am there.
What is your favourite music to listen to?
A bit of everything, I am pretty diverse.
Do you have a favourite TV show?
I hardly get to watch much TV. I prefer to watch a video instead.
Do you have any words of wisdom for the younger
riders?
Never give up on your dreams. If you put your mind to it and work hard you
might just surprise yourself. Most of all enjoy what you are doing or you
won’t excel.
“If your not having fun then it is not fun” A Natarsha Williams
original quote during helping out a friend in need.
This is the thank you part, so fire away.
Of course Sic chics for thinking about me and asking for an interview. My
Parents, all those who helped me out in Europe especially the Dayson
family from England who put up with me for 6 months, Rich Moore for his
continued friendship and photo’s. Jerry and Kathy Landrum for everything
they have done, Ryan Birk for all his help and being one of the best
friends I have ever had, Redline for the continued support over many
years, Bill Zimmerman and Tom Harvey for giving me the opportunity to ride
for them this year, Brad and Brian of Bullseye visuals for doing a great
job on my helmet and letting us ride their trails even though I crash
every time I’m there, Sean Dwight, Scott and Dana from Noa Noa
Restaurant for giving me a job and all my other sponsors who have helped
me over the years, I am very grateful of the support you have all given
me... Thanks Heaps.
Thank you very much for your time and we wish you
well for the future.
For more information on Natarsha check out her website at www.tarshasbmxworld.com.