258 RACING

Rider

British BMX youth champion three years in a row. When it comes to racing, Wilfred Njuguna has the know-how to keep his rivals behind him. Wilfred has been racing BMX bikes since he was 11, rising to become British youth champion three years in a row. It was a sweet victory for the Nottingham-based rider who had been pipped to the title a year earlier. In his teens, Wilfred progressed to become European number seven and was enrolled into the Olympic development programme – the first Nottingham BMX club rider to reach such heights. On his campaigns, he regularly competed against Tre Whyte’s brother Kye and the friendship with the Whyte family goes back over a decade. Wilfred originally grew up in Ilford just outside London and moved with his family to Nottingham when he was six. Now 23, he's eager to get back to racing as his BMX days came to an end when he started a four-year course of mechanical engineering at Leicester University. He ended his studies last year and has recently been employed by Galliford Fry, a construction company specialising in water management. Before starting his new job, Wilfred spent two months in Kenya (he has dual citizenship) visiting relatives in Nairobi, while back at home he actively helps with the Kenya Nottingham Welfare Association (KNWA) offering 1-2-1 sessions with young people who need additional support with their schooling.

Rider

Roberta races in the Elf CIV Women's European Cup for SuperSport 300 bikes, with rounds in Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic. In 2020, Roberta took four podiums in the first five races and was third overall last year. She’s been racing since she was nine. At age 11 and the only female in the category - she won the Italian CIV Junior Championship for mini-bikes in 2014.

Rider

Won bronze at the 2014 BMX World Championships, riding as an independent. British BMX racer Tre Whyte backed himself all the way to bronze at the 2014 BMX World Championships after British Cycling dropped the Peckham rider from their squad and Whyte decided to fund his place and prove his talent on the biggest stage of all. It was a remarkable achievement for the youngster who had grown up riding BMX bikes in Brockwell Park, close to his home in south London. A weekend hobby quickly turned into a passion and alongside his younger sibling Kye, the Whyte brothers were soon picking up medals in both regional and national competitions. “Having natural talent can only take you so far, but the harder you work, the more it pays off,” says Tre. “You need to believe in yourself.” His brother Kye is an Olympic silver medallist who has recently made a name for himself on Saturday night TV show Dancing on Ice. Today, 28-year-old Tre is giving back to his local community, helping the next generation of BMX rider in association with the charity Access Sport. “I’m in a position now where the kids in our community can relate to us,” says Tre. “Both Kye and I got into trouble at school, but we can demonstrate to young people that you can actually go on to achieve great things.” You can also find Tre at work in the British reality show Peckham’s Finest.‍