Last October, BMX News ran a story, written by Intense BMX Elite star Arielle Martin, talking about a day she spent on the Chula Vista Supercross track. It was not a story of the fastest lap time, or clearing this set or that. It was the story of a friend helping someone understand BMX racing in a way they otherwise could not, without her help.
That “someone” was two-time Paralympic Track & Field Silver Medalist, Elexis “Lex” Gillette. Lex is completely blind, but wanted to better understand the environment all his BMX friends at the OTC encounter on their day-to-day quest to make the 2012 US Olympic BMX Team.
Lex lives at the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista full-time, just like other Olympic (and Paralympic) hopefuls who are training full-time to represent our country in London next year. Lex’s training is substantially the same as any other athlete on the property, with special consideration given to their specific sport and unique training needs.
The day Arielle and Lex spent walking the track is wonderfully-accounted in the link below, so if you have not previously read it, we encourage you to do so.
But first, fast-forward to last week, when Arielle, and a few other OTC friends helped Lex take his curiosity for BMX racing a step further. They pulled an official “USA” jersey over his shoulders, strapped a helmet on his head and took him, aboard a “Team USA” Intense Podium, out to the last straight of the Beijing-replica track, for him to RIDE a BMX Supercross track, firsthand.
See video of Arielle helping Lex ride the Chula Vista SX Track here: http://bit.ly/iruHIc
Now, to you and me, that might be challenge enough. But, think about doing it with a blindfold on, which is basically how Lex experienced it, and it elevates things to a whole new level of challenge.
To see Lex Gillette in action, watch the YouTube here: http://bit.ly/ilnSdC
