Kāhu ki Rotorua: BMX prodigy gearing up

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See below for English translation

Haere mai rā he tētēkura

Tāria te wā e tupu matomato ai te hau rongo o Ikimoke Uerata ki ngā whaitua o te Ahi nō Māui. Kua aua noa atu te wā ki a ia e kake ana i ngā pari teitei o te ao whakataetae pahikara BMX.

He ahakoa he kotahi ngāhuru noa te pakeke o tēnei toa, inā hoki te mana kua tau ki runga ki ōna pokowhiwhi. Kāti nō Te Arawa me Tainui waka tēnei rangatira, whaihoki ko te pae matahauriki tāna e kimi ai.

Nōna e whā noa te rahi o ngā tau ka tahuri ia ki te whakataetae pahikara BMX. Kai te kura o Rotokawa kura tuatahi tēnei potiki ā tātou. Kāre hoki ia e wehi ana ki te whakapau kaha ki a pakeke ake tōna wairua whakataetae. Ka pau kē i a ia ngā rā tokomaha o te wiki e whakangungu pahikara ana.

‘He whakamihi nāku tēnei ki ōku mātua ki a Rees rāua ko Terese Uerata, me i kore rāua kua noho kore take rawa ōku waewae me taku wairua, he mihi tuarua hoki nāku ki te karapu o BMX Rotorua me ngā rangatira huhua me ō rātou tini whānaunga i whai whakaaro mai ki a hau.

Ko te ao pahikara te uho o tona whatumanawa, ko te whakaaro whānui ake ko te titiro ki ngā kaupapa rahi o te hāpori. Ehara i te mea ko te kake pahikara noa te kaupapa ehara! He whakaakiaki wairua o te hāpori me te whakawhānaungatanga.

Waikato Champs 2023. Raced at 3 different tracks in 1 weekend on Cruiser - Te Aroha, Paeroa and Hamilton. Received plate for 1st place.

Anei e whai iho nei ētehi o āna taitara whakaharahara. Ko ia tētehi o ngā kōtiri rangatira i puta te ihu i te whakataetae BMX o Aotearoa 2023, taitara nui o te ika a Māui i tū i Waitākere i te marama ko hori. I uru atu ia ki ngā wāhanga e rua, ka tuatoru ia mō te wāhanga 8-10 20″ taha ki ngā taitamariki tāne, whaihoki ka toa ia i te wāhanga 8-10 ‘cruiser’ taha ki te taitamariki tāne.

I whakamanuwhiringia ngā toa whakataetae e Northern Region BMX me te karapu BMX o Waitākere. Wheoi anō, tuturu he whakataetae nui e hoki ai ngā toa nō Hawaiki Tahutahu nei ki te kawe i te riri ki ngā toa no Te Whenua Moemoeā. Ko te wāhanga whakataetae, ko te kotahi ngāhuru mā tahi te pakeke, tamatāne mai, kōhine mai. Tika hoki, he whakataetae nui e ai ki te paepae o BMXNZ.

“Ka whakataetae ahau ki ngā wāhanga e rua, he rerekē ngā wāhanga e rua nei. Ko te Cruiser -20 inihi tētehi, ko tana wāhanga whakahirahira rawa atu, ko te N13 mō te wāhanga e 20 inihi.

He ahakoa kai te raina timatatanga noa ngā wira o Ikimoke i te ao whakataetae BMX, kua mana kē i āna taitara huhua.

He tamaiti whakapono ki tana kaupapa. Ko āna kupu whakakapinga hai awhina i te hunga e titiro kau ana pea ki tēnei kaupapa hai kaupapa mā rātou. ' Kāua e wehi e hoa mā, hikina te taki.’

English Translation

If his recent BMX achievements are a sign of what is to come, Ikimoke Uerata is a name the country will be hearing more of in the future. At just 10 years old, Ikimoke (Te Arawa, Tainui) boasts an impressive resume of BMX achievements and shows no signs of slowing down. This young prodigy is just gearing up.

The Rotokawa Primary School student took up BMX racing at the tender age of four. His dedication sees him training multiple days a week at Rotorua BMX Club, proving his commitment to the sport.

“My parents, Rees and Teresa Uerata, have helped me out a lot, also my nana Rowena who has been especially helpful throughout this journey, all the Rotorua BMX Club and all the members and their families,” he says.

While he rides for the love of it, he also acknowledges the broader impact of such kaupapa on the community. BMX racing does not just nurture individual talents; it fosters community spirit and camaraderie.

North Island Champs 2023 in Waitakere, Auckland. Received trophy and plates for NI3 8-10 boys 20-inch and NI1 for 8-10 boys Cruiser.

Among his recent accolades, Ikimoke shone at the BMX New Zealand 2023 North Island Titles in Waitākere last month. Competing in two categories, Ikimoke secured third place overall in the 8-10 boys 20″ boys’ final and an impressive first place in the 8-10 cruiser male category.

The competition, hosted by the Northern Region BMX Association and the Waitakere BMX Club spotlighted the New Zealand V Australia Mighty 11′s male and female junior test teams and was a significant event in the BMXNZ National Series.

“I race in two different classes, the 20-inch and Cruiser, " he mentions, with his highest achievements being “NI3 for 20-inch since competing at North Island Titles”.

While Ikimoke’s journey in the world of BMX is still at its beginning, his passion and achievements are a testament to his dedication. When asked for any advice for peers or the younger generation looking to dip their toes into BMX racing, Ikimoke’s message is simple: “Give it a go. It’s a lot of fun.”