MOUNT Isa BMX rider Bill Woodward rode in his deceased friend’s honour when winning at the national championship last week.
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Woodward won the 11 year category when riding with the combined bike numbers normally used by Tobi Parkes and his father.
Tobi was nine when he died during a jet ski accident which his father was involved in at Lake Moondarra last November. Their family’s misfortune was felt among the close knitted Island BMX Club’s members.
Woodward decided to replace his usual number with Tobi’s ‘19’ and his father Shane’s ‘82’ when riding for the Island BMX Club this year.
His parents Doug and Toni said he vowed he would take Tobi’s number “to number one” to represent him on the track. They sincerely did not believe he would literally do that.
Woodward proved his parents wrong and due to his result he qualifies for the world championship to be held in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in July. They just wait for his official letter of acceptance given to the top 16 in each category.
He also placed fifth in the 11 year cruisers category which also qualifies him for worlds. His older brother Philip also qualifies for worlds.
But it gives the Woodward little time to prepare and raise the money; less than six weeks.
“I will try not to crash and hurt myself,” Woodward said when asked what he aims to do in training to prepare for the international competition.
It’s the first time Woodward has won a national competition but has competed internationally before, having raced in Belgium two years ago. Unfortunately a crash in the semi-final affected his result.
His familiarity with the track at Brisbane’s Sleeman’s Centre last week stood him in good stead.
“My advantage would be my jumping. When I jumped in the finals I got smoother,” Woodward said.
His result was affirmation for his parents. The sporting passion of their sons is expensive and takes much time, especially when living in the remote western Queensland city. “But we do it because they love doing it,” Mr Woodward said.
“They are doing well at it...I always say if they don’t want to do it I won’t make them.”
Woodward has been competing in BMX since he was three-years-old. He joined the sport to copy his older brother. He nagged his parents to be able to ride.
“He had to be able to ride the track by himself,” Mr Woodward said. “The president at the time said if he could ride by himself he could race.”
And he could. Five years later he competed in his first state competition.
