Baylee Luttrell | Sport

My name is Baylee Luttrell and I am an 18 year old BMX athlete. I have been racing since I was 4 years old and I have been to 8 world championships, with my best placing being world number 4. For the past two years I haven been racing in Europe for the European season, gaining valuable race experience in my first two years of junior elite before moving into the elite class in 2020. BMX has taught me many valuable life lessons such as determination, resilience, and optimism. All of these values have been put to the test this year. In January, one week after the national championships, I suffered several spinal fractures during a training accident. I was unable to walk without the assistance of a walking frame for about two months and was in a neck brace for three months. After I recovered, I made it my goal to get back to 100% to be selected for the World Championships in July. I achieved this goal but during the official practise at the world championships, my forks snapped on my bike resulting in a crash and having to pull out of racing. This was pretty devastating and it took a massive hit on my confidence. I remain in high spirits and am training hard for the 2020 season to give myself the best chance of achieving my goals.