Britain’s oldest BMX rider Lesley Reynolds has qualified for the world championships.
Watch the Britain’s oldest BMX rider who has qualified for the world championships
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53-year-old Lesley, from Truro, Cornwall, started riding four years ago to give her son Jacob some company and to spend quality time with him on weekends.
Lesley has now qualified for the BMX Racing World Championships at 53 and has become the oldest female rider on the British BMX squad.
It all started when her son Jacob visited a local BMX track with his Cub Scout group four years ago and developed a passion for riding.
Lesley, a former science teacher, said: “It wasn’t long before he started taking part in the regional races with them, and I was just stood there on the sidelines. I enjoyed it, but it gets quite cold and windy up on the track.”
“I realised that although I was telling him what to do, I really didn’t know what I was talking about. People started saying to me, ‘Maybe you should get out and do it if you think you know what you’re doing’”.
“I thought, well, yeah, I’d rather be doing that than stood here freezing, so I had a go.”
Lesley hired a bike and started loving it instantly. She went on to buy her first BMX when she was 49.
Lesley and her son began spending their weekends at the Exeter Eagles in Devon.
To qualify for the BMX Racing World Championships, Lesley first competed in Kent, Glasgow, Blackpool, and Leicester.
Lesley will now be competing in the BMX Racing World Championships in Belgium and her son Jacob would accompany her.
Lesley said: “There are lots of skills involved. Keeping the wheels on the ground when you’re going fast can be a challenge.”
“At the end of the day, it all comes down to how fast you pedal and how brave you are.”
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