Ben’s

By Justin Robertson
IT IS pure speed that makes Ben Hughes tick.
This time last year he was zipping around his Upper Beaconsfield neighbourhood on an ordinary blue BMX bike, wishing he could be like his racing idols, elite national champions Matthew Dunsworth and Tom Siinmaa.
Since then, Ben has joined a local BMX club, upgraded to a racing bike, been selected for the Victorian Junior Development squad and has qualified to represent Australia at the BMX World Titles in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, next month.
It has been quite a meteoric rise for the 11-year-old.
“I’m very excited and a bit nervous racing for Australia and going to the World Championships,” Ben said. “I’ve never been overseas, so it will be really cool.”
The BMX World Titles is the biggest of its kind, with more than 2000 riders competing for the championship plate. In Australia, riders have to qualify within each state and then have to compete in a national competition which is cut to a final squad of 16. Ben, a Grade 5 St Michaels Primary School student, formed an interest in BMX bikes at an early age and was heavily influenced by his family – mum Karen, dad John, brothers John and Patrick and younger sister Annie – who are all avid BMX fans.
“He wanted to participate in BMX in some sort of format, so we rocked up to the nearest club, signed him up and started racing,” Ben’s dad, who will accompany his son on the overseas trip, said.
“There isn’t a racetrack locally, so we joined him at Knox and he has been racing there since.”
With the 10-day South Africa trip less than a month away, Hughes snr said he is still looking for local support to help with sponsorship.
“There’s no help with funding, so each participant has to pay their own way,” he said. “It helps cover things like getting a passport, airfares, meals, but either way, we’ll be going.”
So far Ben’s achievement has garnered interest from local councillors Ed Chatwin, Graham Legge and George Blenkhorn, who have donated a collective $500 towards sponsorship, but Hughes said they were still short of their goal.
Ben will be competing against some of the best riders from around the world, some who have had years in experience, but he’s taking it all in his stride.
“There’s going to be some good riders there, so I just have to do my best,” he said.