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Home / Rotorua Daily Post / Sport

Move over boys - here comes Nikita on her bike

By <b>Hohepa Walker</b>
Rotorua Daily Post·
25 Apr, 2006 03:30 AM2 mins to read

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Motorbike riding or medicine? A hard decision when you're a 13-year-old girl.

But ask Nikita Knight and she'll say it's simple really.

"I want to be a professional motocross rider," she says with a smile.

"Mum wanted me to be a physiotherapist so I could travel
around with the All Blacks or other sports teams."

Nikita was one of about 300 teenagers ranging in ages from eight to 16 competing in the Kawasaki Silkolene Junior Championships at Horohoro during the weekend.

After five years of racing this was her first junior national although she has won other races including the Junior Womens in Whakatane last year.

"In the 9-10s I won a lot and I came second in the mini nationals in Nelson," says Nikita.

Her interest in this male-dominated sport started when her brother got a motocross bike for Christmas.

"I got a stereo, I was a bit jealous really.

"One week later I got a bike as well."

And how does she feel about competing against the boys?

"When I'm in a race I think go girl, you can beat those boys and make them annoyed," she says.

The number of girls and women competing in motocross is increasing, said event organiser Julie Galloway.

"A lot of girls have brothers in the sport. At the end of the day its about riders skills.

Nikita, a third former at St Peters College in Cambridge, travels home every weekend to the family farm in Atiamuri to ride her 85cc big wheel KTM bike and compete as often as she can along with her two brothers, both motocross riders. Mum and dad are big supporters and double as pit crew.

"I know nothing about the mechanics, I just leave it to dad," says Nikita.

"We knew nothing about motocross four years ago. I love it, it keeps us together," said mum, Michelle Knight.

Despite not qualifying for the championship races over the weekend, Nikita still enjoyed the thrills and spills of racing in her group.

"I like it because my friends who do it are here. It's just fun."

Fellow Atiamuri rider, Dion Picard, was one of the stars of the weekend's racing.

The 10-year-old won all of his races in the 8-10 85cc class to take the national championship.

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