聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Local motocross racer, Kate Lees 鈥� a 20-year-old nursing student, recently finished competing in the Canadian Women鈥檚 Motocross National Series where she raced in Kamloops, Nanaimo, Calgary, and finally, Regina where she earned a final collective finish of seventh an improvement of two positions since last year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lees has been racing since she was 12, which she says is a late start compared to many in the sport, but with hard work and a great passion for motocross she quickly excelled on the track. Now she competes in the local 麻豆视频east Cornerstone Racing Circuit (SCRC) and has finished her second year on the national circuit.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n 2014 one of my friends did them and she did really well; there was also a girl from Yorkton who had competed in them awhile ago who was a national champion and I had always looked up to her,鈥� Lees explained.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So, last year Lees decided to compete, making a goal for herself to crack the top 10, which she surpassed, finishing ninth at the end of the circuit.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 After training all winter she was ready to ride.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 go to the gym a lot, and I hate the gym so that's saying something,鈥� Lees laughed. 鈥淚 basically focus on the rower and the stationary bike because it's a sport that's big on endurance. When it's 35 degrees out and you're in full gear your heart rate is unreal. And of course it鈥檚 important to be able to hold on for the whole race.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n February I went down to Texas again to a training facility there and instead of riding on my own, I took some lessons and it was the best decision I've ever made. I learned a slightly different riding style and I think it really paid off. Then school finished in mid-April and towards the end of April beginning of May I try to ride four times a week, then by the beginning of June I leave for nationals.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This year competitions began on Sunday, June 4 at Whispering Pines Raceway in Kamloops, June 11 at The Wastelands in Nanaimo, June 18 at Wild Rose MX Park in Calgary, and finally on June 25 at Moto Valley Raceway in Regina.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lees went out with the goal of improving her 2015, ninth place finish to seventh.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y goal was seventh this year, I wanted to do better than my ninth place finish,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 knew it would be a challenge, but I thought I could do it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Which the young racer did. Competing with two races a day at each track Lees finished in Kamloops in fifth and ninth for an overall eighth; in Nanaimo she finished eighth and seventh for a seventh overall finish; in Calgary Lees had a tough run going down but finishing ninth in the first race, while she went down again in the second race and finished ninth a missed flag saw her drop five places to 14th. While passing a fellow racer, the yellow flag signaling a down rider was obscured by the other rider, so she was already in the air by the time she saw the flag, which meant an overall 12th place standing in Calgary.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 bounced back though and went into Regina feeling relaxed, so just went out and had fun,鈥� Lees said. 鈥淚t was really nice they added a race in Regina this year because I had a lot of friends come out to cheer, which was really nice.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In Regina, Lees pulled off a sixth place finish and an eighth place finish for an overall eighth finish in her home province. And following the calculations of riders from each race in the series, Lees was awarded seventh place, well seeded in the top 10.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n my very first race, ever, I was number seven, so I'm pretty excited for next year. I was nine this year, but I'm really excited to be seven again!鈥� Lees exclaimed.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lees added that the atmosphere and culture of the women's national circuit is phenomenal: 鈥淭he girls I race within nationals are the most competitive but most friendly experience, everyone is excited for each other and how everyone else does. I was down the one time picking up my bike and I had a friend pass me, yelling at me, 鈥楰ate, get your bike up!鈥� I got up and ended up passing her later in the race. It's just so great.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Being a girl in a male-dominated sport isn't the easiest thing, but Lees continues to prove herself amongst the SCRC where she races in both women's and men鈥檚 (B Class) classes.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淣ationals is really my focus right now,鈥� Lees says, but her passion for racing shows locally time and again. Including picking herself up after a serious wreck, being a tough competitor, and - something extremely important to her 鈥� sharing her passion with other racers, specifically younger racers looking to race.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lees explained her crash: 鈥淚t was two weeks before nationals in Oxbow and there was this guy ahead of me who didn't hit a jump that I thought he would. So, I came off a jump and landed on the rear end of that bike and went down. I'm pretty sure I knocked myself out on the landing and it was at a blind spot on the track so no one knew I was down. I'm pretty sure a couple other bikes drove over me. I was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Oxbow and then was taken to Regina by STARS because it was a back and neck injury, and I also had numbness in my arms and I also lost my vision for 15 to 20 minutes.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Resting up she was ready to return and start in on the nationals circuit saying the crash didn't take a toll mentally on her: 鈥淚t kind of depends on the crash I guess鈥� This one wasn't my fault so it didn't really bother me. When I was 15 I knocked my two front teeth out and that one was all my fault and it took me awhile after that one; but, if I didn't do this I don't know what I'd be doing, sitting at home doing nothing probably, and I love it too much to let anything stop me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This passion is something she's become focused on sharing. Last year she did a clinic with eight young boys attending. This year she hopes to do another clinic to help others become quicker and has already hosted a girls ride day this year (Saturday, July 2) to help encourage more girls to begin racing.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 know so many girls that could race, but they're scared to, so I thought that by coming out and being on the track with girls that do race might help,鈥� Lees said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Additionally, Lees has taken on a board role with the SCRC and helps organize the local circuit, which she enjoys as she loves being the one to hand out awards to young racers. Although the position keeps her busy, she loves helping out.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 get to hand out awards, I can run around all day like crazy helping run it, but if I get to keep handing awards out to six-year-olds the work is all worth it,鈥� she said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e鈥檝e done three races so far and we have six left to do,鈥� Lees explained. 鈥淚'm really excited for the July 23rd race in Carlyle. Last year I was a consistent top seven rider in the B-Class, but this year I had pneumonia the first race so didn't participate, then in Oxbow I went on a helicopter ride, then Weyburn was the week after the crash; so, I'm ready to come back to my hometown track and I'm ready to prove something.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚'm looking forward to the rest of the year.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 To watch Lees race, head out to the Bowen Rekken Memorial MotoX Track on Saturday, July 23, in Carlyle.
