DRAPER, Utah — A Utah teen will soon be competing in front of top BMX riders in the world at the largest European extreme sports event hosted in France.
Lehi resident Keir Sirlin, 13, is packing up her hot pink bike and will soon be headed to Montpelier, France to compete with the USA Cycling team.
Sirlin is the two-time national champion for female BMX freestyle It's an extreme sport requiring riders compete on gravity-defying ramps, spines and walls throughout a park.
"I just do it so much that now it just feels like breathing," she explained.
The 13-year-old got into this style of riding just five years ago and even though she was hesitant at first, some encouragement from her dad helped her get motivated.
"It has been fun to kind of watch her go through this." Sirlin's dad, Joe reflected. "Her flow and natural ability just to look good on a bike. It looks like she belongs on it."
Joe soon took on the role of coach and now he's excited to see his daughter take on the challenge in France among world-renowned Olympians.
While it would be amazing to win, Sirlin says she's looking forward to traveling to a new place.
"I just want to have a ton of fun," she said. "Meet a ton of the people."
This is just the tip of the iceberg for Sirlin as she is shooting for the stars and hoping to go all the way with her hot pink bike.
"I want to go pro," she explained. "I would love to like coach other girls like probably as I get older...boys, too, but like mainly girls so that I could help them get better.”
Sirlin is ready to compete this weekend and represent her home in Utah on a huge scale.
