Redlands BMX Club rider Edan Whitlock will join Olympians Anthony Dean and Lauren Reynolds in the Australian team for the 2018 UCI BMX World Championships in Baku in June.
Whitlock 18 of Capalaba is one of just two Australians to compete in the junior elite women’s event as a member of the 102-rider team.
Whitlock won bronze at Australia’s national championships in Bunbury, Western Australia in March and will now make her mark on the world stage. Last year, Whitlock was one of five girls to qualify for the world championships, competing in America and reaching the quarter final.
Whitlock’s mother, Karen Whitlock said Edan who is the youngest of four started riding BMX at age 12, first riding her brothers’ bicycles in the back yard and later riding around the streets with the nighbourhood kids.
“I’m sure our neighbours must love watching her sprint up and down the street. It’s lucky we live in a cul de sac,” she said.
“I feel proud, apprehensive, nervous. All of the above. And Edan feels nervous and excited,” Mrs Whitlock said.
Mrs Whitlock said Edan worked part time in retail and trained once or twice daily at various tracks. She also coaches some other riders at the Redland BMX track near the PCYC at Capalaba.
“The club is very supportive. This year the club held a fund raiser to help send Edan to the championships,” she said.
Australia’s national team manager and 2008 Olympian Luke Madill said it was a wonderful opportunity for Whitlock to take on the best riders in the world at BMX’s global showpiece.
“Edan has done a great job of preparing to get over to Baku in top shape,” Madill said.
“She is a talented rider who has been performing consistently well over the last couple of years and I am looking forward to seeing her race the best in the world.”
At last year’s world championships the Australian team came home with three gold, six silver and two bronze medals.
BMX Australia is recognised by the Australia Sports Commission as the National Sporting Organisation for BMX racing and Freestyle BMX within Australia.
BMX Australia is the second largest BMX nation behind the United States and is an organisation with 17,000 members from the age of two to 80 years. Its vision is to lead Australian sport through successful partnerships, participation growth and performance excellence and ensures that participants strive to success, building a strong and positive public profile and continue to develop high quality athletes, coaches and officials at all levels.
