National champs in sights

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

BMX

Seventeen riders will be flying the flag for Gisborne BMX Club at the national championships in Tauranga this weekend.

For five of them, it will be their first appearance at the nationals.

The Gisborne riders are Tony Carpendale, Cory Carpendale, Rob Graham, Justin Nepia, Sherilyn Anderson, Reave Nepia-Anderson, Asher Nepia-Anderson, Jax Nepia-Anderson, Cael Smith, Glenn Wells, Kaitlyn Wells, Rockie Ellmers, Clair Ellmers, Gemma Ellmers, Jade Ellmers and sisters Krystal Smith and Ruby Smith, who are returning to the sport after a four-year break.

Like other sports clubs, Gisborne BMX Club was affected by the recent weather events, which damaged its Lytton Road track.

This came on top of recent vandalism and resulted in limited training and preparation time for the nationals.

Fortunately, former world age-group champion and Gisborne BMX Club alumni Nick Fox was back in his home town last weekend and ran a productive, well-received and timely training session.

It is a particularly big weekend for up-and-comer Asher Nepia-Anderson, who will also be trialling for the New Zealand Mighty 11s team to compete in Australia in June.

The New Zealand team will consist of four male and four female riders.

Asher has been training every day for three months for this opportunity.

The trials are to be held tomorrow and competition proper is over Saturday and Sunday.

Gisborne BMX Club president Glen Wells said the club wanted to say “a big thank you” to all those who had supported them, particularly Andy McPhail and the crew from Eastland Asphalts for donating their time and services to mend the corners of the track damaged prior to the cyclones.