Rookie rider Minnie Collins medals at NZ track cycling championships

Levin rider Minnie Collins with her medals at Levin Velodrome at Levin Domain.

Minnie Collins started riding a bike two years ago and hasn’t stopped.

The 15-year-old Horowhenua College student put her name down to participate in a school ride on a bike she had borrowed and says: “I haven’t really hopped off since.”

“I borrowed a bike from school that day and eventually got a bike of my own,” she said.

Collins joined the Levin Cycling Club and since then, through hard work and talent, has become one of the best track riders for her age group in New Zealand, winning medals at the recent Track National Championships held at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome in Cambridge.

Minnie Collins.

She won bronze in the 500m time trial, silver in the 750m sprint final, and bronze in the team sprint final (500m) when teaming up with Pyper Newton.

The sprint medals came as a surprise to Collins as she had been specifically training for endurance events, where she placed 5th overall in the 7.5km points race, and competed in every endurance event of six days of competition.

Coach Richard Horn said Collins’ attitude carried her a long way.

“Minnie is really enthusiastic so it makes it easier,” he said.

Collins currently trains six days a week, meeting up with club riders at the Levin Velodrome at Levin Domain on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.

When she first joined in on a club training night, she didn’t have a bike of her own, and used one supplied by the club to get started.

Horn said the club had a small selection of bikes available for youngsters wanting to try cycling or wanting to join the club until they got their own bike.

“Please do not hesitate to contact us via our Facebook page or email us at levincycling@gmail.com,” he said.