ILLAWARRA BMXer Kai Sakakibara will take his first step as a professional rider at the first round of the BMX Australia National Series in Nerang.
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The 18-year-old from Helensburgh rides for the Albion Park-based Southlake Illawarra club, where he is also the junior rider coach. He has four World Title plates and many top finishes in domestic competition to his name.
Sakakibara heads into the new season after finishing second overall in 2014, with the January 2-3 Nerang event one of his favourites after winning the round in 2013.
‘‘Nerang is definitely one of my favourite tracks in Australia," said Sakakibara.
‘‘The track is technical, fast, and always in great condition.’’
The National Series double-header is BMX’s traditional season-opener, with riders from across Australia competing for series points.
Having recently completed his NSW Higher School Certificate (with an ATAR mark of 90.7), Sakakibara is embarking on his chosen career as a professional BMX racer - with Nerang the first step of the journey on the road to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“I’ve been planning this move into the professional ranks for a long time,” said Sakakibara, who is of English and Japanese descent.
“I am looking forward to the challenge, although it is a little overwhelming to think that I am going to be racing against riders that I have personally idolised and looked up to throughout my life.
“I need to be at the top of my game if I want to be in the running for an Olympics spot, and the journey starts now.”
Sakakibara will ride a Redline Flight Carbon bike, the same machine ridden by current World Champion Sam Willoughby, who hails from South Australia.
Sakakibara was born in Labrador in Queensland in 1996, with his family soon after moving to Japan where he began racing BMX at just four years of age.
The family returned to live in the Illawarra in 2007, and Sakakibara has raced BMX ever since.
Kai’s younger sister Saya is also a top BMX prospect, and is currently ranked number one in the world in 14 Years Girls.