Riders
Hannah Gallacher
Girls Expert
- Age
- 24
- Hometown
- Dundas (CAN)
- Track
- Milton BMX - Track 2000
Following
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At first, Brooke was completely against racing. Her parents only got her a bike so she wouldn’t feel left out when the family went to watch her brother race on their hometown BMX track in Tulare, Calif. Of course, she was only six at the time but, in a discipline where racers start as young as five, Brooke sized up the peer competition and told her parents that she wanted to try racing. Racing BMX in southern California is a bit like playing football in central Texas, the talent pool is deep and wide and the competition is fierce. The distinctions started piling up when Brooke was nine. She has consistently compiled top-3 titles in national age group rankings ever since. Her big break came in 2009 when, as a 16 year old, she scored two world titles and a national title. Brooke graduated from Mt. Whitney High School in 2011 and began to focus on BMX racing full time. While she has lived under her parents’ roof, she has benefited immensely from their sustained support. They have - according to Brooke - always pushed her to be at her very best. They have also pulled double duty as her coach, which sometimes isn’t easy when the going gets rough. As a teen, Brooke has learned that the price of racing at an elite level has cost her a bit of a social life but, rather than be adrift in the life of a normal teenager, she is a determined BMX racer and she credits her parents, in part, with being where she is today. Coming just a tad short on the UCi points scale, Brooke was chosen as the back-up rider for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, and kept training and pushing her two friends and Olympic team members - Alise Post and Arielle Martin. With the Olympic games already started, and just days before they were all to leave for London, Arielle snapped a chain while practicing on the London-replica course, and suffered some serious injuries. Suddenly, Brooke was IN, and on her way to London to represent the United States. In one of the more memorable moments of the BMX event, Brooke flashed the palm of her glove to the TV cameras. Written there on the palm of her Deft family gloves was scribbled “AMV” - her tribute and salute to her OTC roommate, who was watching from a hospital bed back home in San Diego. Despite a gnarly crash in qualifying on the first day of the Olympics - a bail that was seen around the World, Crain went on to make the main event and placed 8th. When Brooke’s not training or riding her bike, she likes to hang out with a few of her close friends, play basketball, or relax at home with her family.
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As Canada’s one and only BMX Olympian in 2012, Tory has long been hailed as the fastest BMXer north of the 49th parallel. (In fact, that is the reason why Tory selected 49 as his career number). As a longtime ABA racer - young Tory became one of the few Canadians to ever earn a NAG (National Age Group) No.1 plate in the U.S.. Backed by American sponsors - from Redline to Staats, one of his toughest competitors was his good friend from Nevada - Connor Fields. The two helped push eachother to new speeds, and there’s no coincidence that they both went on to become AA-pros and Olympians. Like many racers, Tory has seen his ups and downs in the sport; having to overcome some major injuries. Prior to the 2008 Olympics (and being too young to qualify), he was helping train Canada’s two fastest pros before Beijing - and crashed so hard that he broke both arms. But like all successful BMX racers, he overcame that obstacle and went on to race in London in 2012. Tory has ridden for Redline Bicycles for years, and has also been training with famed French BMX coach P.H. Sause for over a decade now. In 2013, Tory placed 5th in the UCi Worlds main - making him the 5th fastest BMXer in the World.
Racer Highlights
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