Kamren Larsen, Daleny Vaughn and Cameron Wood spoke at a press conference at BMX USA headquarters before making the trek to Paris for the 2024 Olympics.
The journey for each of the trio started early. Their training wheels came off before they were five. Wood, from Montana, began in a state with only two outdoor bike tracks. He says his parents sacrificed to get him to where he is today.
“When I was 16, they moved our lives to Phoenix, Arizona largely in part for BMX racing. I’ve been very blessed and fortunate to have such a good family and such a good support system,” Wood said. “My parents, I can’t give them enough credit for them getting me to this point in my career.”
The expense of getting from Montana to Phoenix to Paris doesn’t end with the parents. The way U.S. Olympic teams are funded is different than their competitors. Many other countries use federal government funding, but Chief Strategy Officer of BMX USA Shane Fernandez says that the squad is kept pedaling via private donors.
“Here in Tulsa obviously we have the big funders. So, you know, we have the Schusterman foundation, OSU Sports Commission, the city of Tulsa, but it’s always a mixture of public, private sponsorships and then you have some philanthropic sides with nonprofits.”
The BMX team composed of five athletes in total will start their run for the Paris podium Aug. 1.
