Chicago Area Produces BMX Up-and-Comer

by: Paul Banks

The sport of BMX (Bicycle Motorcross racing) has something in common with Junk Bond trading and Rubik’s Cubes; all three saw a huge surge in popularity during the 1980s. However, BMX has come a long way since the age of legwarmers. It debuted as an Olympic sport in Beijing this past summer and this competitive field with a young history has a strong following within the youth of America. United States BMX competitors took home three medals in the games: Mike Day (silver), Donny Robinson (bronze) and Jill Kintner (bronze). This success is increasing the popularity of the sport and encouraging more youth to enter it.

Thirteen year old Teresa “Flying T” Nowdomski has dreams of competing in the 2016 Olympics, a dream that would seem even more exceptional if Chicago serves as host city. By then she will have reached her twenties. Like many who enter the sport, she became involved in the sport at a very young age. The current seventh grader at Hanover Central Junior High School has been competing in BMX since age 4. Just like the athletes in every other sport, BMX racers have their own personal role models and rivals. Flying T, who won the Redline Cup in Ohio this year, lists her favorite racer as Alise “the beast” Post and her biggest rival as Falishia Stancil.  Teresa, ranked in the top 10 nationally in for her age group, has her own website that you can visit here. For her Team Diamond BMX profile, go here.

 

Nowdomski hails from the Northwest Indiana region which contains three American Bike Association-sanctioned BMX tracks in Northwest Indiana — Hobart, Portage, and Lowell. They even possess an indoor track with Enter Steel Wheels Indoor BMX in Hobart.

 

Another hungry young BMX rider who hails from the area is a 6-year-old who’s already competed in National Competition. Kenny Nork hails from my back yard, the southwest suburb of Orland Park, Illinois. He is another competitor that you may see in an Olympic Games down the road. In Orland Park, the game of choice is golf, as the town water tower was painted to resemble a golf ball on a tee and is emblazoned with the words “Orland Park: World’s Golf Center.” In this country club dominated landscape, many kids growing up there (including myself) found few past time options, and BMX is a fruitful and productive outlet for kids seeking after school athletic activities. Many of the racers competing in the Northwest Indiana region have spoken publicly about a lack of children’s activities in their region as well. BMX is a sport helping to fill the void.