By Natalee Kerr
An 11-year-old Geelong BMX rider has tackled 46C heat to claim two world plates at 2019 BMX World Championships last week.
Geelong Thunder’s Cameron Gatt took on the world’s best riders in Belgium after a series of national victories earlier this year.
Cameron’s mum Michelle said her son competed in “unbearable” conditions as the European country faced a record-high heat wave.
“His father and I were running down to the pits between races and throwing bottles of water over him,” she said.
“But he was out there with his full-face helmet and protective gear and he didn’t complain once.”
Cameron battled it out against 167 competitors across eight races to finish fourth in the 11-boy’s race and eighth in the 12-and-under boys cruiser.
Michelle said earning two world plates in the one competition was “very rare”.
“It’s the highest achievement you can get in BMX at this level,” she said.
“Not only did he have the increase in numbers of competitors, but he had the extreme heat to deal with.
“He is one incredible kid and nothing is going to stand in his way to achieve his goals.”
Cameron, who lives in Wyndham but rides with the Moolap-based club, was one of two local representatives competing at the championships.
He said he was “proud” of his achievements as he faced “really tough” conditions.
“I didn’t give up even when I got squeezed to the back of the pack. I just worked my way back through to get W4,” he said.
Cameron now holds four national titles and five world plates after earning his first world plate at the age of seven.
He is set to represent Australia at the BMX Trans-Tasman Test in New Zealand this October.
