Athlete of the Week - Mickie Joseph

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Bicycle Motocross is coming to the Western Slope, and one local rider is looking forward to showing off what she can do.

This weekend riders from all across the country will head to Grand Junction for the Grand Mesa Nationals. one of the riders participating will be the Western Slope’s own Mickie Joseph.

“I have been racing since I was two years old, and now I’m 16 years old. It’s about 14 years, 15 years, and it’s just been a long ride,” Joseph said.

A ride Joseph says she started at such a young age, thanks in part to her brother.

“He kind of urged me to go and just give it a shot. I mean, I was two, so obviously I wanted to be like my big brother. He was great at BMX, everything like that. he passed away when he was 13, and I’ve been staying in this just to keep his spirit alive. And I love doing it as well,” Josephy said.

Joseph’s BMX journey has taken her all over competing against the best in the nation.

“I’ve traveled everywhere really, to all the Nationals, I’ve gone to Florida, Missouri, everywhere really,” Joseph said.

However, this weekend, she’ll be competing in Grand Junction, in front of the hometown crowd.

“The big element is this is my home track. So I definitely do have an advantage on that one, and how the gate works, how to ride the track. But it’s also great because I know some of my friends are going to be showing up watching me race that don’t really get to so it’ll be it’ll be amazing for that,” Joseph said.

She says she hopes that the event helps frow grow the sport of BMX and get more people interested in the sport.

“BMX used to be a mostly guy sport, it’s like you look at that, and it’s Oh, it’s athletic. It’s a guy sport. But now that there’s been a lot more here just in Colorado, there’s been so many more girls racing. And I love that because I mean, there used to be none,” Joseph said, “I think it’s just showing that other other girls can do it just because there’s some girls that were already doing it so it just kind of shows like Oh, it’s okay, I can come do this too.”

Joseph says she has a simple message for anyone looking to get involved in BMX.

“I would tell them just to give it a shot. I mean you don’t know if you don’t like anything if you don’t try it so just give it a shot. Go for it. Full send it as I say,” Joseph said.

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