MOTOCROSS - Purdon laps up hard work

THE gruelling sport of motocross might seem worse than a penal sentence to some kids but Whangarei's Michael Purdon is in his element.
Each 20-minute (plus one lap) "moto", or race, submits the body to severe stress and drags the fluids out of the competitors.
"You come back after each moto sweating, exhausted and very, very thirsty," Purdon says.
Dehydration can be dangerous to competitors as it can contribute toward poor judgment.
"You can lose concentration if you are dehydrated before a race, you're supposed to have about four or five litres of water before you race," he said.
Losing concentration in motocross can be fatal. Purdon's worst accident wasn't at a national event but at a club day at Ruakaka.
"Perhaps I wasn't thinking about it enough and happened to do it wrong ... once you lose what we call the physical mind (ie total concentration) you often make a mistake," he said.
One minute he was riding and next thing he knew everyone was screaming and yelling and he was rushed to hospital with a suspected broken neck. Thankfully, there was no serious injury but the crash taught the young rider, who turned 15 yesterday, the value of taking nothing for granted.
Purdon is one of almost 40 riders selected in different classes and age-groups in the New Zealand training squad for next year's World Youth Championships in Taupo.
He's already noticed plenty of improvement, particularly from work done with coach Craig Anderson on starts.
"As Craig says, it's half the race done for you already it's so important to get a good start, if you get caught up in the corner it drops you back," he said.
Last weekend at a big meeting at Taupo he earned two out of three "hole shots" in motos - for the uninitiated, that means he was first around the first corner, showing he has improved.
"I didn't used to be very good at starts but now I'm more confident," he said.
Purdon has worked his way up the ladder nationally and was sixth at nationals this year in his age group and is aiming to maintain his ranking in the 15-16-year-old age group next year.
The family travels to competitions or to training every other week and Purdon appreciates the sponsorship they get.
He and his family have spent so much time travelling to motocross meets around the country that arriving at each event feels like a homecoming.
"It's great turning up at an event because I get to catch up with all my friends again - all the guys I race against have become such good friends because I see them so much," he said.
What's more, they have plenty in common, as they compete in one of the most physically demanding and dangerous sports.