This year's Tokyo Olympics have inspired millions through incredible displays of athleticism and the limitless potential of human achievement! We were thrilled for the opportunity to sit down with Arielle Verhaaren, world-renowned BMX champion and current coach of USA Cycling, to learn all about her unique experiences in preparing for this year's Olympic Games. Learn more by reading the interview below!
What was your specific role in helping the USA BMX Team prepare for this year's Tokyo Olympics?
I am a contract coach for USA Cycling, so I work with a number of athletes across different disciplines, primarily in BMX racing. Three athletes with whom I work are competing in Tokyo.
Payton Ridenour is a racer who I have exclusively coached since she was 15. Tokyo has always been a goal for us, but admittedly it was a long shot given her age and experience level. COVID-19, however, gave us an extra year of training and racing practice. So, coming into this season, she went from being a long shot to an actual contender. She sealed her ticket to Tokyo with a silver medal finish at the World Cup in Colombia on May 30 and is the youngest member of the team at 19.
Perris Benegas (pictured right) is a BMX Freestyle racer making her debut along with the sport's Olympic debut. I have worked with Perris for the last three years on strength, conditioning, and high-performance preparation. She is a World Champion and absolute phenomenon on and off the bike.
Emma White is making her Olympic debut on the velodrome with the Team Pursuit. I have done her strength work in the gym for the last year and a half, and I am excited to see what she and her teammates can do on the track.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your own BMX career.
I started racing BMX when I was five and won a handful of national titles before turning pro at 15. When BMX was announced as an Olympic sport, I had all my sights set on it. I was a lead to go to Beijing in 2008 until a crash at the World Championships lost our second women’s spot. Consequently, I landed as the alternate to my teammate, Jill Kintner, who went on to win a bronze. At the end of the 2008 season, I won the World Cup Series title, and, in 2009, I took a bronze at the World Championships. Moreover, in 2011, I became the first American woman to win a World Cup and then took home a silver medal at the Pan American games. A fourth place at the World Championships in 2012 sealed my ticket as the lead woman to the London Olympics, but a crash in training the day before our departure landed me in the hospital with a crushed liver and punctured lung. This sidelined me from the actual race. I returned to competition in 2013 and finished the season ranked second overall in the World Cup series. I then retired to start my family and coaching career. I have a BS in Exercise Physiology from Brigham Young University and an MBA from DeVry. I also have an awesome husband, Mike, and two beautiful children named Max and Alta. I truly love coaching the next generation of Olympians.
What was the biggest challenge you encountered while helping the USA BMX Team prepare for this year's Olympics? Is there anything in particular which occurs behind the scenes of the preparation process?
I think the hardest aspects for me are both not being in Tokyo as well as trying to prepare my girls for that fact. There are a limited number of credentials allowable for staff and coaches, and because of COVID they had to cut back. Since I'm not the technical bike coach for Emma or Perris, and because Payton was the last to qualify for the race team, all the credentials for BMX had already been designated. So, trying to prepare my girls for the biggest competition of their lives without me present wasn't easy—but we did it! The games will already be quite different because of COVID rules, but none of my girls has been to the Olympics before. I think this fact benefits them, as they don’t have a concept of what a normal Games looks like.
As far as preparation behind the scenes, it's just a lot of work! Every day is a process of putting the work in, recovering, analyzing, and repeating. For most of the world, the Olympics happens every four years, but for the athlete, it's four years of work, planning, preparing, and striving to be better.
What would you say to a young BMX athlete who is interested in eventually preparing for the Olympic Games?
Dream big and work hard! Becoming an Olympian doesn’t happen overnight, and no Olympic champion gets to the top without hardships and setbacks. A little grit and perseverance are required to make it to the finish line. That said, it all starts with a dream and passion. Regardless of the outcome, it's worth pursuing if that’s where your heart is!
The Olympic Games are a singular testament to the remarkable feats we can accomplish through hard work and perseverance! Indeed, our very own Carrie Lingo, Associate Broker, consisently brings her Olympic drive and vision to her leadership role within our company.
Be sure to catch the BMX Race Primetime Medal Event on Thursday, July 29, the BMX Freestyle Medal Event on Saturday, July 31, and the Team Pursuit Finals on Tuesday, August 3.
Go Team USA!
