As Rebecca Petch visualised what it would be like to ride the track at Tokyo¡¯s Ariake Urban Sports Park at the upcoming Olympics, her phone rang.
It was the New Zealand Olympic Committee informing the 23-year-old Te Awamutu rider that she had the BMX spot as part of the 19-strong New Zealand cycling team heading to this year¡¯s Tokyo Olympic Games.
¡°I was pretty excited. I was home alone and got the call saying I was going to Tokyo ¨C it felt a bit surreal.¡±
On her home track on the edge of Cambridge in Waikato on Thursday morning, Rebecca, who works as an Authorised Officer in Waikato, says the achievement is a culmination of the past five years.
She¡¯s been riding BMX since she was three years old, following in the footsteps of her brother Cameron. As a teenager she competed in the junior elite category ¨C racing Oceania competitions ¨C and then on to the Elite category competing in World Cups, achieving final and semi-final spots.
¡°Since then I¡¯ve just never looked back. I¡¯ve learnt a lot in those years and it¡¯s got me to where I am now, overcoming the highs and lows.¡±
She will head off to Australia next week for two weeks to train on a similar track to the one she will face in Tokyo. Then it¡¯s back to the Waikato before heading off to Japan with the New Zealand team at the end of July.
Rebecca is on the pathway to becoming a police officer. She joined the recruiting process and recently took up a role as an Authorised Officer to experience the policing environment before college.
¡°I have always wanted to join Police. I also wanted to go for the Paris Olympics [in 2024] but didn¡¯t want to put my career aspirations on hold ¨C so I thought why not do both?¡±
She balances work and training twice a day, most days at the track in Cambridge and at her home club in Te Awamutu, as well as training in the high-performance gym at the Avantidrome.
There¡¯s nothing like the adrenalin of making a jump for the first time, she says.
¡°It takes you around the world, you meet new people, learn and have life experiences.¡±
Heading to Tokyo, Rebecca is expecting a tough field of 24 women at the top of their game internationally.
¡°It¡¯s not going to be easy but it¡¯s a good challenge and I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±
The three-time BMX national champion is one of four riders for road, mountain bike and BMX named today (Thursday 17 June) by the New Zealand Olympic Committee for the Tokyo Olympics.
¡°It has been a challenging time for BMX, with its expansive international travel schedule derailed by the coronavirus pandemic and New Zealand¡¯s leading female riders not racing the UCI Supercross since early 2020 in Australia,¡± Cycling New Zealand High Performance Director, Martin Barras said.
¡°However, Rebecca Petch showed she is of international quality and importantly has the potential to develop into even more of a contender for the future.
"In addition to her strong performances during the qualification period, the Tokyo games will also help develop her potential for Paris 2024.
¡°There are a number of highly promising young riders moving into the international scene with the hope of more riders earning quota spots for Paris in four years.¡±