Well, once again the ladies are dominating the BMX world. This past weekend at Egg Harbor for the Veteran’s Day Race we saw some riding from young ladies like Jena Sagendorf, Cassidy Cox, Taylor Farside,Alaina Henderson, Shannon Walsh and Jessica Eggdorf ripping up the track. When I got a chance to sit down and interview a couple of these extrodinary ladies I found some interesting information.
Heres an interview with the young 9-year-old girl, Jena Sagendorf, out of NY who took 1st all day.
Name: Jena Sagendorf
Age: 9 (just turned 9 Nov. 1st)
Month/Year started racing: July 2005
Class: 9girls
Any Rankings? #1NY && 2s for regional
Favorite Track: Tri City BMX (hometrack) and Egg Harbor
What do you like best about bmx? Racing, Friends and the competition
What/who inspires you to race? my sister
do u like to compete with the boys? Sometimes
where do u see womens racing going? Girls are getting more involved into BMX, which is good. I hope to see BMX become just as popular among the girls as it as among boys.
Do you get scared? No
Is it a compliment if someone says ” You ride like a guy”? Umm not really because
girls r just as good and fast as guys. Actually, some girls are faster than the guys!
Does anyone else in your family race? Yes my older sister and my twin brother as well as my cousins
Would you say BMX is more of a family sport or an individual sport? Family b/c my sister brings me all over to races and my twin bro travels with us. Were all in it together. Its also individual because I am the one who trains and I am the one who races so its up to myself if I want to win.
What are your aspirations in the sport? to become girl pro
how do you train? sprints & bike rides
what a typical day of ridin like with u? Well I usually do 10 sprints if i do them @ all && then me , my big sis , and my twin bro all go on a bike ride around the neighboorhood. Sometimes we’ll go down to this field and run a couple laps and then go over this jump.
Whos your biggest competitor? Heather Reiman, Haley Avila, Veronika Gulvin
Do you look up to anyone in BMX? my sister
After sitting down with Jena, I got to talk to Shannon out of NJ:
Name: Shannon Walsh
Age:15
Month/Year started racing: March/2001
Class: 15 girls
Any Rankings? 1st state, 1st region 10th nation
Favorite Track: Hampton
What do you like best about bmx? BOYS ;] haha no, I love the racing, I love compition, and traviling all over the world to races and meeting new people
What/who inspires you to race? I love racing with a passion, what inspires me is the wanting to go to see all my friends and i always want to push myself a little further to win
do u like to compete with the boys? yes, ive even gotten asked to let the adults sons win.
where do u see womens racing going? since today women have many more rights than before, i see it going as far as boys can, and hopefully we can get trick compitions or girls
Do you get scared? i get butterflies before any race, especially big races, but once the gate drops i dont think about it, all i think about is peddiling all the way
Is it a compliment if someone says ” You ride like a guy”? i dont really think it is, because theres alot of girls who can beat many of the guys, girls push other girls just as hard as boys do.
Does anyone else in your family race? no, my brothers use to, but now ones in surfing and the other is just lazy
Would you say BMX is more of a family sport or an individual sport? i think for me its partly a family thing, because my mom is just as much into racing as i am. she loves to go to the races and do staging and hangout with all the other race parents
What are your aspirations in the sport? to beat everyone i physically can. and be the best i can be.
how do you train? i train by doing sprints, riding, doing steps, crunches, weights, and leg presses
what a typical day of ridin like with u? ill go to the track and ride for a while, and then ride around the city with some other guys
Whos your biggest competitor? its hard to say, who i want to beat the most would probably be liz passwaters
do you look up to anyone in bmx? not really, i have many best friends, who help me alot, so i guess i look up to all of them.
There was one girl you couldnt miss if you were at Egg Harbor this past sat, Nov 11. Alaina Henderson was not only ripping up the track but she was jumping it as well!
Name: Alaina henderson
Age:14
Month/Year started racing: 1996
Class: 14 gurls
Any Rankings? National number 2
Favorite Track: Evansville
What do you like best about bmx?the sport is self is great and you meet so many new people.
What/who inspires you to race?Friends and family members that also race.
do you like to compete with the boys? Of course it make you faster and a better rider
where do you see women’s racing going? As the years go on there has been a lot more girl riders,so, hopefully it will become as popular to see girl racing as boys.
Do you get scared? Not really I’ve been racing most of my life and learned to go for things that will make you place better in your race and if you fall and get hurt at least you were doing something you loved to do.
Is it a compliment if someone says ” You ride like a guy”? umm not really because I think girl riders are just as good as guys
Does anyone else in your family race? yes
Would you say BMX is more of a family sport or an individual sport? I’d say individual only because you are the one that trains every day to be were you are today and you are the one that’s make the chooses on the tack but it is always nice to have a older sibling or parent there to give you advice
What are your aspirations in the sport? hopefully be involved with the sport when i am older and turn pro and see were I goes form there
how do you train? I just do sprints a couple times a week a ride the track trails pretty much any were.
what a typical day of riding like with u? just having fun and riding as much as u can before it gets dark
Whos your biggest competitor? Brooke Crain, Taylor Thomison
do you look up to anyone in bmx? yes Friends and my family members that race too.
