Blackheath resident and current Australian Junior Off Road Enduro Champion, 16-year-old Ben Kearns travels to Dungog this coming weekend for the final two days of competition in this year's Australian Off Road Championship.
Ben, a Year 10 student at Blue Mountains Grammar School in Wentworth Falls, has endured a hectic schedule to complete 10 rounds so far this year, travelling to Victoria, South Australia and twice to Queensland to defend his 2014 championship in which he was undefeated in all but one round last year.
With some tough competition this year Ben is currently in second place but hopes to be able to turn this around at Dungog.
"It is a lot of work to keep up with my on-bike and off-bike training and maintain my school studies," says Ben. "But I have awesome support from my family and some great people up here in the Mountains. I am really looking forward to this weekend".
Ben has been riding motorbikes since age four and racing since he was 11. His sport has taken him all over Australia and includes many successful results here and at national events in the USA. He has travelled to Europe several times to learn more about the sport and crewed for senior Australian riders in world championship events.
He is supported by enthusiastic Blue Mountains district businesses including Lithgow Valley Springs, St Mounts Guesthouse Blackheath, Sutto's KTM Penrith and McWatters Competition Developments in Penrith.
Ben is a regular at the Plus Fitness Gym in Katoomba under the watchful eye of his personal fitness trainer Tony Williams.
"It is important for Ben to maintain a balance between the highest level of aerobic fitness whilst building strength for the intense endurance demands his sport requires," Williams said.
Ben has also recently been selected by Motorcycling Australia for its Elite Athlete Training Academy in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Sport. The top eight young riders across all motorcycle sporting disciplines in Australia are provided a three-year pathway to world championship capability.
"I hope to develop my speed, technique and fitness to the highest level when I move to the senior class next year, and hopefully be able to compete at a world championship level within a few years," says Ben.
Ben also leads the NSW Junior Enduro Championship, with the final round of that series to be wrapped up in Portland on September 19/20.
