For Britney Hovencamp, it is a step towards her ultimate goal of competing in the Olympic Games.
The 16-year-old member of the Kingston BMX Club is headed to Azerbaijan on May 30 to compete in the World Bicycle Motocross championships.
“I’m super excited,” said the Grade 10 student at Holy Cross Secondary School.
“I’m looking forward to the competition, and experiencing a different culture,” added the thrill-seeking teenager from Amherstview.
This will be Hovencamp’s second appearance at a World Championship event. Last year in Rock Hill, S.C., she finished in fourth place in the under-16 division.
“I just love the sport,” Hovencamp said. “It’s such an adrenaline rush, going as fast as I can.”
Bicycle Motocross started in the late 1960s in California but has quickly gained popularity around the world.
It has become so popular that the International Olympic Committee sanctioned the sport and it made its Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Beijing in 2008.
Hovencamp’s goal is to one day represent Canada on the biggest stage in sports.
“Next year I plan to compete in the junior elites and after a couple of years advance to the elite division,” Hovencamp said.
“If I continue to progress, then hopefully someday, I can be a proud member of Canada’s Olympic BMX team.”