A busy month is in store for talented young Albion Park BMX rider Anabella Warrington.
The 11-year-old will head to New Zealand next month to represent Australia in the Mighty 11s Test Team.
But before then the Southlake Illawarra BMX Club rider will compete in the 2023 AusCycling NSW State Championships.
Fortunately for Anabella, Southlake Illawarra BMX Club will host this prestigious event on September 30-October 1.
Hosting the state championships is a huge honour for the Albion Park-based club, which last held this event in 2012.
Nathan Warrington said his daughter Anabella was ecstatic she had fulfilled her two goals for the year, by placing top three in the state series and qualifying for the Mighty 11s Test Team.
Anabella, who trains three to four times a week with coaches Marcos Baez and Leanna Curtis, ticked off both these goals on September 3.
The final round of the 2023 AusCycling BMX NSW/ACT State Series was held in Lake Macquarie on this date.
Anabella was one of 39 riders from Southlake who excelled, finishing third in the finals and claiming a third-place overall in the State Series.
This event also doubled as the qualifier for the Australian Mighty 11s Test Teams, with the top five boys and top five girls in the 11-year-old age-group with the fastest times selected for the team.
The team will represent Australia against New Zealand on October 21-22 at the 2023 BMX NZ North Island Titles in Auckland.
"Anabella's biggest goal this year was to make it on to the team and be a part of this amazing opportunity," Warrington said.
"Her hard work and determination has paid off, she is super excited to be joining the team and flying to New Zealand on Sunday, October 15.
"The Aussie team will spend a week in Auckland training hard and participating in team bonding activities in the lead up to the big race.
"Anabella was over the moon when she made the team, saying 'OMG!, I can't believe I made it! I'm going to New Zealand!"
The Mighty 11s is an international BMX competition between Australia and New Zealand.
The original idea for the Mighty 11s came about after a rider from Ipswich BMX Club was tragically killed in a car accident, with his mother giving the club a trophy to be used in his memory.
It developed to what it is today after Ipswich BMX Club president Neville Gray and his New Zealand counterpart Errol Nelson formed a Trans-Tasman BMX exchange program.
Their vision was a cultural exchange trip along with BMX racing. The exchange was timed to happen with the Mighty 11s meeting, which then combined to create a Mighty 11s experience.
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
