Lewis Lansdowne

Sports Award

Age:

14

Biography

Downhill Mountain Biking

Hi, my name is Lewis I am currently in year 9 at school. I have always been involved in sport mainly football since the age of 5 playing for Ibstock United FC until U13's and captained this team, I was in Burton Albion Development Academy for a few years and decided just last year to leave Burton Albion as I started to get involved in mountain biking and didn't have enough days of the week/hours to train for football and biking. I moved to Barrow Town FC U14's at the end of last season and train Tuesday evening and play on Sundays. The rest of the time I am out on my bike.

My interest in mountain biking came from watching videos of professionals and inspired me to give it a go. I found local trails Snibstone Discovery Park, Western Park and Bardon Hill these are more technical rides. Western Park gave me the confidence in the air in jumping. All the community and riders were supportive and gave me tips and support on how to improve my skills. Through the different parks you meet so many riders who all have different experiences and abilities and we learn from each other. After being in this sport for around 9 months now, I have seen that the biking community is like a family and will never be shy to give a helping hand and I enjoy talking and sharing my experiences with others.

Downhill mountain biking is pure adrenaline and gravity fuelled excitement that requires skill, speed, and bravery. Basically, its which rider can get down to the bottom of the hill the fastest. The hill is usually a mountain, the course is anything but smooth and the risks are enormous. I absolutely love the challenge and the physical demands of the sport. I entered my first downhill race at the Forest of Dean late January 2024 and came 25/74 riders, I took a fall on the second run got back up to finish the race but was disappointed and knew I could have improved. We get up and go again!

I get out as often as I can to practice due to the winter/darker nights I'm limited to the weekends and spend between 4-5 hours training. My parents take me to different tracks Stile Cop, Cannock Chase and are very supportive, bike park Wales is also on my list of places to visit. Due to the danger of the sport, they often walk our dog around the forests or sit and watch/wait. In the summer months I go out in the evening and weekends and in the summer holidays I go out more regularly. I have seen some amazing sunsets from up high and hope to see many more.

Seeing other riders and being able to ride with them makes me want to push myself and be better than them! The race experiences will allow me to develop and grow in the sport. I've recently become a member of British Cycling for insurance and hope to enter another race soon.

I would like to thank the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust for their support, this will allow me to replace and buy additional protective equipment. I hope to INSPIRE others to follow me on my journey and, would welcome riders to experience the adrenaline and challenge.