BMX: Hope stars will inspire young riders

BMX Dunedin president Jason Wadsworth hopes a visit from Olympic silver medallist Sarah Walker and world champion pursuiter Alison Shanks will inspire a new generation to take up the sport.

The champion cyclists have agreed to help promote the sport at the club's open day on September 16.

The club is launching a new initiative this year which aims to teach youngsters the four basics of BMX: pedalling, cornering, balance and braking.

"We're hoping to get a lot of new members to come along and increase the number of kids cycling as well," Wadsworth said.

"That is why we have started up the bike skills programme. I've got two kids and there isn't anywhere to take the young kids to ride and learn the skills."

Wadsworth said in the week after the Olympics and Walker's silver medal effort, the club received "a few more calls and emails than what we would normally get".

"And with the work we are doing to try and get ourselves out there as a club, we are getting more and more interest from that as well.

"We had to make a big call as to whether we spend some money on doing more with the track and the club, or do we try and promote ourselves. We made the call to get Sarah down here and hopefully will grow from that."