Silver medal shows value of lessons learned

Lessons learned from a painful Olympic Games have helped Lauren Reynolds take her BMX career to a new level this year.

Reynolds, back in Bunbury after her second place at the BMX world championships in Auckland, points to experience gained in London as the catalyst for her success.

“I’ve definitely changed my outlook on racing and preparation since the Olympics and I think I’ve got a much better balance in my life now,” she said.

“I’ve been competing a lot more rather than just concentrating on training and only taking part in a few races every year.

“Because of that I feel much more confident going into races, which I think was a problem at the Olympics where it felt too much like unfamiliar territory.”

Reynolds’ success at the world championships follows a third place finish in stage three of the BMX World Cup in Holland in June, and the former Bunbury Catholic College student said she felt her luck was changing.

“Crazy things happen in BMX all the time and in the past it has been me who crashes or gets the bad luck, but I feel like things are turning,” she said.

The final race of the world championships, where American Alise Post lost control of her bike on the final straight, allowing Reynolds to pounce, provides a good example of that newly-found fortune.

“Alise got a bit crazy on the last straight and I was able to scoot past her,” she said.

“She’s kind of known for that so I was aware it could happen and I was ready for it when it did.

“I knew there was also a chance she might come off and take me with her but I feel so much more confident on the track that I was ready for whatever happened.

“In the past one of my weaknesses has been constantly worrying about other people but now I feel I don’t even know they’re there and I’m just worrying about myself.”