5 local BMX bikers headed to Olympics train in Holly Springs
Posted July 16, 2021 6:55 p.m. EDT
Updated July 16, 2021 7:09 p.m. EDT
Holly Springs, N.C. — Four BMX freestyle riders from North Carolina will be representing the United States in the Olympic this year. Two happen to be from Fuquay-Varina, and another is from Jacksonville.
"I can't lie and say that going to the Olympics was a dream of mine, because it was just so far-fetched for my sport to be in there, because BMX has been more like an underground sport," said Justin Dowell, 21.
Dowell, along with the four other riders, are training at the Daniel Dhers Action Sports Complex in Holly Springs.
Daniel Dhers, 34, a native of Venezuela, qualified for the games back in 2017 when BMX was approved as an Olympic sport.
"The Olympics are coming toward the end of my career," he said. "I never thought I was actually gonna get the opportunity to go."
Although he's a U.S. citizen, he'll represent Venezuela in Tokyo this year.
"I know how much it would mean socially if I do get a medal, especially gold, because it's a country that's had lot of issues," he said.
While the sport is male-dominated, it's changing this year. Nikita Ducarroz, 24, is a woman BMX biker who grew up in California and now lives in Holly Springs.
Her father is from Switzerland, so she decided to be the only BMX freestyle athlete to present that country.
"It was definitely a hard choice. A lot of different factors went into it," she said. "The USA already has a crew of amazing riders. I figured we'd spread it around and help a smaller country out."
Two other Olympic free-stylers that have been training in the Triangle are Perris Benegas, from Fuquay-Varina and Hannah Roberts, from Jacksonville.
Riders get two 60-second runs to perform their acrobatics, and they're scored on difficulty, creativity and execution.
"It's still scary every day. Even today, there was stuff I was doing that I was definitely stressing," Ducarroz said. "And it's just a constant circle of perfecting something that used to scare me."
