When Saya Sakakibara and Kai Sakakibara were named joint winners of the Sports Achievement Award at Wollongong’s Australia Day Citizenship and Achievement Awards they impressed everyone with what they have accomplished.
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The siblings from Helensburgh represent Australia and NSW at an elite sports level and between them hold Australian, NSW and World BMX titles.
They revealed how busy that keeps them after accepting the award on Thursday night at City Beach Function Centre.
On Friday they flew to Cairns and will then travel to Brisbane for Australia Day before flying to New Zealand.
“We go all over the place,” Kai said.
“The Australian National Series runs from the beginning of January through to March. It started off on the Gold Coast, we are up in Cairns this weekend and in Auckland the weekend after that for the Continental Championships then back down to Shepparton in Victoria and then Bathurst. We are racing everywhere. But our home track is Albion Park.”
Saya said they both trained every day.
“We have a gym program and do some sprints on the road,” she said.
Saya, 16, has been the World number one in her age group for the last three years.
She is presently number one rider for Australia, ACT and NSW.
She won the 2015 BMX Australia National Series which involved competing in events all over Australia.
Saya has just been awarded BMX NSW Members Choice Senior Female Rider of the Year and also volunteers her time to coach others. She is also regarded as a high achiever at school.
Kai, 19, was the first to start competing and has done so for 15 years.
2015 was his first year in the Elite Open Category for riders over 19. He achieved fifth in the Australian National Series and Championships and first in the NSW State Series, NSW State Championships and World Championships.
Kai has been a part of the BMX Australia Development Academy since 2014, and has been selected for 2016. He has also been selected for the BMX NSW State Team. In 2015 he was named ambassador for the Southlake Illawarra BMX Club. He is the BMX NSW Member's choice Senior Male Rider of the Year and wants to represent Australia at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.
“It is awesome to both get recognised together like this,” he said.
“We have both been in the sport a long time. Just as I have been able to help Saya get to where she is..she has been the one to push me when I need it. To be recognised together is awesome.”
