When it was announced that Team CycleCraft would be picking up Supercross racer Rachel Bracken they asked me to write a press release about this amazing athlete. However, the Supercross fans spent all of last year watching this girl compete at the highest level so I thought it would also be cool to give her a interview. Here we really get to know who she is and what she hopes to accomplish as the newest member of the team.
Rachel Bracken of Townsville, Australia is 21 years old and has been riding BMX for thirteen years. She took to the sport at an early age after watching her brother Luke ride at the local track. She quickly became addicted to racing and she excelled at it. She made the Australian Team several times, competed at the Australian Championships and the BMX World Championships. However, all of her early victories were merely a precursor of greater things to come.
Her commitment to BMX was fortified when it was added to the 2008 Olympic Games in Bejing, China.
"I've always wanted to go to the Olympics ever since BMX was added and I knew that the only way to get there was to race Supercross. So I had to face my fears and give it a go. I had a lot of support from my family and friends which helped my confidence too."
In no time at all she had graduated to the big track. In the last two years alone, Rachel has raced all over the world.
Results
2011
2nd BMX Australia National Championships QLD
4th UCI Probikx/Champbikx – Round 6 ACT
4th UCI Probikx/Champbikx – Round 5 ACT
4th UCI Probikx/Champbikx – Round 1 QLD
5th Oceania Continental BMX Championships NZL
8th UCI Probikx/Champbikx – Round 2 QLD2010
2010
2nd UCI Oceania BMX NZL
5th UCI BMX Supercross World Cup Round 2 DEN
6th UCI BMX World Championships RSA
7th UCI BMX Supercross World Cup Round 4 FRA
9th Overall UCI World Ranking
When I asked which races really made an impact on her she was modest in her answer, "At the 2010 World Titles at South Africa I didn't win, I got 6th but it is still a very memorable race for me. It was my first year as an Elite rider and I beat all my expectations by making the final. And I still remember 2007 National Titles I came from way behind in the last corner to take the win on the finish line."
While her successes on the track have been a blessing, she has also had her share of painful lessons, "I've been a bit unlucky with injuries lately. In August of last year I crashed at the London Olympic Test Event, tore 4 ligaments and done severe bone bruising. Before Christmas I had another crash which badly bruised my knee. I've also broken both elbows, had surgery on my elbow, broken my wrist and split my chin open."
As for her new team, Rachel is thrilled about the opportunity, "I'm very excited to be riding for CycleCraft this year! I haven't had a chance to ride a CycleCraft yet but I really like the color choices."
With the Olympics looming Rachel knows what kind of odds she is up against but she remains optimistic, "I definitely want to go to the Olympics this year but I still need to recover from my injuries and get back on my bike full time. I have a lot of competition in Australia and we're all desperate to get to the Olympics so it won't be easy."
We all wish Rachel a speedy recovery, good luck with her new team and hopes for a great start to the critical 2012 Season.
If you haven't seen Rachel in action, be sure to check out this entertaining highlight video:
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