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Contact us at:
sicchicsofbmx@yahoo.com.au
Renee Junga
Thanks to ACTBMX for the photos of Renee.
Tell
us a bit about yourself.
My name is Renee Junga, I'm a 16 year old year 11 student from South
Australia.
What type of bike do you ride?
I ride a GT Speed Series XL
Who are your sponsors?
Cassap/Standish Cycles
You had a bad fall while you were in Tasmania for
the Nationals. Tell us what happened.
It was my first attempt at jumping the doubles on the first straight. I
cased by a tiny little bit but because the landing was sort of flat on top
and because of the height I got, when I cased my hand slipped and I went
unco and stacked jamming my hand between my handle bars and the ground.
What damage did you do and how long before it
will be healed properly?
I broke the 3rd, 4th and 5th meta-carpels in my left hand. They had to put
two plates and a K-Wire in, to set the bones straight.
It is pretty much healed now but I unfortunately have to wear a brace for
about 6 months.
It must have been difficult for you to not be
able to defend the number 1 plate that you won in 2001. Was this
disappointing for you watching from the sidelines?
It was very disappointing, I think it is a lot harder on the mind when its
a big meeting like the nationals, but in a way its good to just sit back
and watch all of your friends without having to worry what you've got to
do to qualify and to win.
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?
I started racing because my stepbrothers were racing and I had to go out
and watch, it got a bit boring so I decided to have a go.
I’ve been racing for 11 years now and hope to keep racing until I stop
enjoying it, which will hopefully be a long time.
What major results and achievements have you had?
1x 1A, 2A, 3A, 5W and 2SA, 10x 1SA, 2x SA female rider of the year and
1x girls
gold cup winner
What has been your most memorable moment in BMX?
It would have to be making it through the semi-finals and getting 5th at
the worlds in 98.
What has been your biggest disappointment in BMX?
My biggest disappointment would be breaking my hand at this years
nationals and not being able to try and defend my 1A.
Who would you say is/has been your toughest
competitor?
There have been so many girls come and go through my age group, but they
have all been tough.
What are your future goals/ambitions? Is there
anything that you haven’t achieved yet, but would
like to?
My future goal is to do my best and try to go to America to race for at
least a year and anything I can get on the way would be a bonus.
Are you planning to race overseas in the future?
I would love to go race anywhere overseas.
What states have you raced in in Australia?
I have raced in every state except WA but we are going next year for the
worlds.
What is your favourite race meeting to attend and
why?
Either Nationals or worlds, because you get to meet heaps of new people
and catch up with friends that you haven’t seen for a year or so.
What do you do for training?
At the moment I only ride to school, do gate starts once a week and race
clubbies.
What is the racing scene like for females in
South Australia?
I think the scene could be better, but it is good. At least we have
females racing. The pro class usually gets at least 4 but most of the time
we have more.
What do you think could be done to improve the
racing scene in Australia?
I think we have to get the word out that BMX isn’t just a guys sport and
I think you web site is doing this.
You are looked up to by many girl BMXers. What
does it feel like?
I didn't really know many people looked up to me because I'm not really a
pro, but yeah I guess is good.
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 used to look up to Jesse Carlson because he was so fast and so
consistent. These days I admire what Natasha Williams is doing in the US.
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?
Thanks, I really taught myself how to jump. I just went riding with my
brother, and some friends. W e used to set up a small jump in the front
yard, made of a plank of wood sitting on bricks.
My advice for other girls is to try and jump a small jump and try not to
be scared. Don’t be intimidated by the boys, if you keep at it you’ll
be as good if not better than them.
Did you used to beat the boys at club meetings?
How did they handle this?
Up until I was about 12, I used to beat them but then they started
growing. They were OK with it a lot of the time but some times they would
make up stupid excuses. Now I’m just trying to keep up with them.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of
BMX? What do you like to do in your spare time?
I pretty much only do BMX. I like to do a bit of dirt jumping and ramp. I
recently got a sk8 board but I’m still new and not very good. I also got
my scuba diving certificate about a month ago and that’s really fun.
What is your favourite music to listen to?
I’ll listen to anything but my favourite band at the moment is Incubus.
Do you have a favourite TV show?
Like a lot of people I like the Simpsons.
Do you have any words of wisdom for the younger
riders?
Love what you are doing and keep at it. Don’t let anyone tell you your
not good enough, just use there comments to try and improve.
This is the thank you part, so fire away.
I’d like to thank Cassap, Peter Moyle, all the guys at Standish Cycles,
Mum, Alastair, my whole family for supporting me, Sic Chics for this
interview, anyone who has ever helped me and anyone who has ever doubted
me, you made me try harder.
Below are some photos of Renee in action.