ATLANTA — Thursday marked the start of the BMX competition at the Tokyo Olympics, highlighting a sport that continues to grow with popularity among young people, such as two internationally ranked riders who live, train, and compete in Georgia.
Brother and sister John and Alexis Aden have both been riding since they were kids. John, now 14, started when he was six; his sister, now 13, started when she was five.
John Jr. has won trophies locally and internationally and is currently ranked 2nd in the southeast in the Gold Cup for 14-year-old expert boys.
Alexis, meanwhile, is ranked first for her age nationally and second nationally for Cruiser Class for 2020. This year, she's ranked eighth nationally for all girls and women in Cruiser Class and fifth nationally for her age.
The teen's father, John Alden, Sr. has been by their side since the beginning, getting bikes ready, repairing and cleaning them, taking them to practice, and maintaining contact with the teens' sponsors and team managers.
"Alexis became number one, and it gave her confidence," John Sr. explained. "She is very, very humble. I'm the bragger. All the young girls look up to her."
For Alexis, the high speed, high stakes, and high-intensity sport is also a break from the rest of the world.
"I love how I can escape from real life," she said.
However, despite all their accomplishments, there's still more that the siblings want to do.
"My overall goal is to make the Olympics," John Jr. explained.
Meanwhile, his sister is setting her eye on becoming a pro one day.
"It's going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of training, and a lot of skill, but I've got my brother to help me," she said.