THE legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games returned to Braintree BMX Club when they welcomed 2012 Australian BMX Team rider Lauren Reynolds to the track to work with the GO BMX Coaching clinic.
GO BMX is a girls only coaching school run by Lauren Smith and Ellie Dewdney from Derby BMX Club, who work with various groups around the country.
The 21-year-old Olympic semi-finalist has been on a European trip prior to the first round of the World Cup in Manchester.
When the Braintree club were approached to host the clinic, they were only too pleased to help out.
Thirteen girls from across the South, five from Braintree with ages ranging from six to 40, took part in the session, where they worked on various parts of the track and covered the important aspects of BMX racing.
The session commenced with a warm-up and then the riders worked on their starts, finding the correct body position on the bike to get maximum acceleration.
It was then onto cornering and the girls showed great commitment when railing the turns.
The girls hit the jumps for the final segment and all of the riders worked on their confidence to use their manual and jumping skills to clear the gaps efficiently.
Kelsey Dixon, 15, said; "It was great to ride with other girls and also be taught new stuff and be pushed to your limit by an Olympian. It was an awesome day and I really enjoyed it."
The session wrapped up with a prize giving for the most improved rider of the day and all of the girls had the opportunity to get autographs and photos with the BMX star.
Lana Redgewell, 17, said: "I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to be trained by an Olympic rider. Lauren's comments were very positive and inspiring; they had a big impact on the way I ride. It's brilliant that a rider of her standard takes time to go back to local clubs".
The Braintree BMX Club summer series commences on May 1. Registration closes at 6.30pm. For more info on the club, please visit www.braintreebmx.com
