Gilroy’s Duyao wins every race in her division in Prunedale
PRUNEDALE – All athletes strive for perfection, and BMX-er Brittany Duyao achieved it during the July 4 weekend with a sweep of all her races at Prundale’s Mazanita Park.
Duyao has always sought a “perfect” whenever she competes, but never achieved it before last weekend on her home track.
A perfect is when a racer takes firsts in all their heats and then the championship race. A racer gets double the points attained in the standings.
Duyao’s mother, Melissa, was proud of her daughter who will be attending Gilroy High School in the fall.
“I call her my ‘little firecracker,’ ” mom said. “She’s small but she has a boom to her.”
Duyao is not the tallest racer on the course, not yet reaching five feet, but she is among the fastest – ranked first in the region and eighth in the nation.
The Gilroy pedaler had an extra reason to celebrate her accomplishment after turning 14 on July 3, the first day of the two-day race.
Becoming a year older forces Duyao to step up in her class, where she will face new competition. But despite the move, Duyao left her competition in the dust.
“I just cruised along,” Duyao said.
The race was easy for Duyao since she goes out with her mom and aunt three times a week to practice on the same Prunedale track.
“She was nervous,” Melissa said, “but one girl who is really fast didn’t show up, which disappointed Brittany a little.”
Prunedale will not be the norm for Duyao who will now be facing faster opponents in the higher age bracket.
“The girls will be a lot harder since they are older,” Duyao said.
In recent races, Duyao has turned out strong showings with firsts and seconds in all her events. In June, she traveled to Santa Margarita and Santa Barbara where she finished second in both races.
Since she has been doing so well Duyao was offered an opportunity to go to Pennsylvania two weeks ago, though she was unable to make the trip to an out-of-state race.
Last season, Duyao had a tough go-around at the Nationals in Kentucky, where she homes to return for the Sept. 2-8 event. After placing second in the first two heats, she took a spill on her bike when there was a pile-up in front of her. But instead of giving up, Duyao picked up her bike and carried it across the finish line for eighth place.
“I’m just going to try to make my main,” Duyao said.
The trip to Louisville, Kentucky will not be cheap; it will cost about $1,200. Duyao hopes to land some sponsorships to help her along.
Duyao will make the trip with her aunt, Lizz Soares. Her mom, although she would like to go, must stay home and watch her other children.
Along with training three days a week in Prunedale, Duyao trains every day at home in Gilroy, using a “roller” that hooks up to the bottom of her bike and tests balance while pedaling. She also has a personal trainer, Bill Campbell, and attends clinics between races.
Melissa describes her daughter as a tough competitor who loves the challenge each race brings.
“She thrives on the competition,” mom said.
In each race, Duyao always had one girl who was always right there with her, making races that much more challenging for her.
“They would always hit elbows on the track,” mom said. “But they were such good friends off the course. They were mature like that. It was nice to see.”
Duyao has been racing for the past four years, and originally got into the sport one year after her younger brother Makaio started racing at age three. She kept with the sport –improving with each season – and she currently competes in the ABA and NBL circuits.
Racing has its own little family where everyone is willing to help each other despite the competitiveness that people feel.
“They are really nice people,” said Melissa of all the racing families. “If you pop something, anyone is there to help.”
Duyao has high ambitions for her future. She hopes to go to Japan for the 2008 Olympics, the first time BMX will ever be offered.
Next up for Duyao will be a race in Santa Barbara. Following the Nationals in September, Duyao plans on competing in the state championships in October.
