Olympic medalist Natalya Diehm inspiring next generation of BMX stars

After ten surgeries and nearly every bone in her body broken, BMX freestyle rider Natalya Diehm was unsure if she would ever compete again, let alone stand on the podium at the Paris Olympics. Although injuries forced her to move back home with her parents and at one point question whether to continue the sport, Diehm says those challenging years leading to her Paris Olympic bronze medal were worth it.

"I had my first surgery when I was about 12, and it was on my elbow," Diehm said. "I've broken my ankles, thumbs, hands, and had two arm fractures. After that, I had two shoulder surgeries, six knee surgeries, and I'm probably going to have two more knee surgeries." She has experienced more flips and fractures than most people do in a lifetime, and a common question is why she continues. But Diehm says inspiring the next generation is what keeps her motivated.

"I had no idea what a skate park was," Diehm recalls. Growing up in Gladstone, Central Queensland, her passion for BMX began with a new bike and a trip to the local skate park. "My parents picked me up early from school and asked, 'Where do you want to go? The skate park?'" she said. "I had no idea what a skate park was, but I said, 'Okay, let's go there.'" That skate park trip sparked her love for the sport. However, those skate park trips also showed her what was then considered a male-dominated sport.

"It wasn't until I went to the skate park that I noticed how many kids I knew from school were there, [but] they were all boys," she said. "I built some really strong friendships, and we were always excited to go straight to the skate park after school to ride." Now, Diehm trains at the BMX Freestyle National Training Centre on the Gold Coast. This facility for professionals has expanded its programs and numbers in recent years. Cycling Australia's national BMX freestyle development coach, Chloe Kerr, says athletes like Diehm have contributed greatly to this surge. "You have to see it to believe it. It's growing so fast," Ms. Kerr said. "Just the fact that they can connect with her so easily and then see her win a [Olympic] medal, I think that's so inspiring."

Ms. Kerr says there is also a National Talent Academy aimed at increasing youth numbers in the sport and creating development pathways for those now involved. This is a stark contrast to the path Diehm experienced. "It wasn't until I started competing that I realized there was a big difference [in opportunities in the sport]," she said. "We have development pathways, and there are more and more kids involved in the sport. They are excited to be part of it, and it's a really cool scene." The success of people like Diehm and Saya Sakakibara at the Paris Olympics is clearly paying off for young riders. Eleven-year-old Maggie McDougall, who competes in BMX, is one of them. She is proud to be part of the growing BMX community and says it offers a thrill.

"I like that it's not a big girls' sport, so I can show that anyone can do it," she said. "A lot of my friends like netball and swimming and all those sports. I like the feeling of the wind in my face on the track." Maggie is proving to be a young prodigy and has already represented her country in her discipline. She is ranked ninth in the world in her age group, and she says it is inspiring to see some of the people she looks up to in action. "I like seeing the people that I follow on social media and the people that I look up to," she said. Maggie also says that she hopes to compete at the Olympics one day. Diehm says it's girls like Maggie who now motivate her to ensure there are equal opportunities in the sport. "It helps push me into my future riding and my career because I want to give the kids and the girls the same opportunities that I never had and be the person that I wish I had to look up to," she said.