Sask. 9-year-old coached by grandfather a rising star in the world of BMX
Ariel Kelly says she was mesmerized at first sight
In a province not known for BMX championships, nine-year-old Ariel Kelly is emerging as a rising star.
Kelly, who is from Dana, Sask., is the youngest of six kids from the province set to represent Canada at a BMX championship in South Carolina.
"It first started in Saskatoon. I went to Pike Lake with my grandpa and he taught me how to ride a bike," Kelly said. "Then he took me to the track in Warman.… Then he took me to a race. I was mesmerized at first sight, and I tried it out I think the next week."
Kelly is following in the footsteps of her grandmother, who was once the number 1 girl BMX rider in Canada after winning the title at Expo 86 in Vancouver.
Kelly started practising at the family farm on her grandmother's old bike, which was wrapped in a distinctive shade of pink.
"I found out I was really good at BMX, and I wanted to do that until I was really old," Kelly said.
Saskatchewan's flat landscape hasn't stopped Kelly from earning medals in Quebec and Alberta. Now she's ready to race the world.
Kelly and her grandfather Lowell Ruda, who is also her coach, travel 45 minutes to Saskatoon to practise at one of the three BMX clubs in the province. But the Saskatoon track isn't indoor, so they have to go to an indoor facility in Edmonton during the winter.
Her grandfather said he's just providing the transportation and the entry fee, it's Kelly's drive and ambition to be the best that are taking her forward in her journey.
"I think the sky's the limit. I think she has what it takes to get to the top of this sport," Ruda said.
He decried the lack of infrastructure in Saskatchewan, saying there is no indoor facility for a sport that already has a short racing season and only three tracks to practise on in the summer.
Ruda also said there also aren't any other girls Kelly's age in Saskatchewan riding at her level, so she needs to go to Alberta to find good competition.
Kelly's goals in the sport are as clear as her talent on the track. Kelly wants to represent not only her home province but also her country on the world map.
"I hope to get first in the world this year and show people how fun it is to ride bikes and how cool it is," she said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
