A moment Danika Bergerson won’t forget from her recent BMX competition is when the crowd chanted her name as she finished her final race.
The 15-year-old bicycle motocross racer competed in the BMX North Island Titles on October 25 to 27, held at her home track in Cambridge.
She told The Profile she was relieved and “over-the-moon happy” when she wrapped up her seventh and final race of the weekend.
That’s because the BMX enthusiast, who rode in the 15- to 16-year-old girls’ group, won six out of seven races and claimed the North Island number one title.
The champion rider said all her friends gathered around “giving me hugs” and congratulations.
When she crossed the finish line, she said she felt “a wave of fulfilment” and exhilaration knowing she secured the number one spot.
Danika, who is a year-10 student at Hauraki Plains College, said the competition used a points-over format where riders earned points based on their finishing positions in each race.
“The rider with the lowest total points across all heats wins.”
The most challenging part for Danika was when another rider “took me out” in the second race, she said.
To secure the final win, she needed to place first in each of her remaining five races, she said.
To “overcome the mental side” of the situation, she refocussed herself and was able to place first in each of the races that followed.
A good night’s sleep, a warm up on the track, a good breakfast and a review of her race strategy were all things Danika said she would do to prepare for a day of racing.
“And then dad checks my bike for no problems.”
But if she’s not out on her bike, “you’ll probably still see me at the track”, she said.
Danika, who has been riding since she was six years old, spent time coaching younger riders and helping out at the Cambridge BMX Track.
“But if I’m not doing any of this I’m probably at the beach with family.”
When it comes to needing bike advice, Danika said she usually asks her dad – “he knows a lot about how it works”, as he used to ride motorbikes and do trail-riding.
And for encouragement, she leaned on her dad, mum, sister Kiarna, and a couple BMX friends.
The latest skill Danika was working on was the double manual, she said.
“This trick is where you manual two jumps in a row without the front wheel touching the ground.”
The next thing Danika said she was working towards was the Oceania BMX Championships in New Plymouth in February, followed by the 2025 BMX Nationals in Invercargill in March.
While it would be “pretty expensive”, Danika said she would love to be able to attend the World Championships in Denmark next year, or the following one in Australia in 2026.
But the best part about BMX was “the thrill of pushing my limits”, meeting new people, and trying new tracks, she said.
“When I’m riding, it feels like an exhilarating rush of adrenaline and freedom, as if I’m completely in sync with the bike and the track.”
