922 Super Women - v2 - FINAL_SL Feature 10 / 5 / 22 2 : 07 PM Page 4 ride together . ” but I didn’t make any finals . Then COVID Father and daughter even hit , which was the best thing that could built a small track — roughly havehappened for me in terms of mak - 700 feet — on their two - acre ing the Olympic team , because it gave property in Pottstown . They memore time to prepare . I had a lot of refined the track over the downtime , so I did so much training . ” course of decade , some - WhenBMX events resumed after the times spending five or six pandemic pause , Ridenour ascended the hours a day shaping it , mak - ranks , though the window of opportunity ing it better . to earn a spot on Team USA was closing “ With winters in Pennsyl - rapidly . She earned her spot in May 2021 vania the way they are , at an event in Bogota , Colombia . everything closes down , so “ After I qualified , I only had two having the track in my back - months until I had to leave for Tokyo , yard allowed me to ride way and I trained with my coach up until then longer , ” Ridenour says . “ Not to prepare for the Games , ” she says . “ It a lot of people have a track was a really cool experience . My favorite in their backyard . It helped part was seeing the Olympic Village and me be a better rider and just being able to say you were in the work harder . ” Olympics . I hope to go back in 2024 . Ridenour and her bike — That’s my next big goal . ” she rides for Mongoose — It also explains her current residence . have traveled far and wide in Pottstown will always be Ridenour’s pursuit of her passion . Her hometown , but she and her family re - trophy case abounds with cently relocated to Tulsa , Oklahoma , awards from her junior and home of the USA BMX complex , which professional careers , and she includes Hardesty National BMX Sta - has visited more countries in her 20 dium . “ Everything I need is here , ” she PAYTON WITH HER PARENTS BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE OLYMPICS IN JAPAN years than most will see in a lifetime : says . “ I’m going to make the most of it Australia , Belgium , Colombia , Japan , the and use this opportunity to take it as far Netherlands , Portugal , and Switzerland , as I can . ” among others . She spends hours each day in train - ing , both on and off the track . Just about AT THE WORLD the only time she spends away from her CUP IN bike is when she’s sleeping . COLOMBIA “ Everything I do revolves around my Payton Ridenour grew up with bike , ” she adds . “ Even when I’m not the same dream most people training , I’m usually on my bike , just rid - have — “ to be the best I can be ” at ing . I’m attached to my bike . ” something . Ridenour’s something is Ridenour is grateful for her parents — BMX ( bicycle motocross ) , a punishing Karenand Keith Ridenour — and the sac - sport that requires of its participants a rifices they have made to help her chase balance of skill , strength , and focus , as herdream . During a recent phone inter - well as ample stores of nerve and tough - view , she also cited several others who lerté ness . Her career as a professional rider haveshown her so much love and sup - C ael has taken her across the country and port : Arielle Martin - Verhaaren , her coach ; Mick around the world , including a 2021 trip to her “ crew from PA , ” Scott Mechler , Jay and Tokyo for the Olympic Games . Bertles , and Evan Eisenhard ; and phy , Rocket , Already in an elite class of athletes , her dog , an illustrated version of tograwhom she believes her best is her to come . Shewas six years old when BMX be - stars on each page of the children’s Phobook X Ridenour has devoted her young life came an Olympic sport . The hazy dream Ridenour wrote , A to Z : BMX Style . BM to BMX . She started riding at an early age , of one day becoming an Olympian be - “ I really just want to be avadasomeone havingbeen introduced to the sport by gan to clarify in 2012 while watching the peoplecan look up to and be a good role N X , her father . U.S . Olympic Trials . She then focused on model for other people , ” she says . “ I BM n “ Mydadused to race when he was making the Olympic team in 2020 , which want to get results , and I also want to be Fiftee younger , on an amateur level , ” says Ride - sheadmits was “ a little far - fetched ” con - a pro that’s approachable if anyone asks MX , nour , a 2020 graduate of Owen J . Roberts sidering her age . a question or wants an autograph . Out - B SA High School . “ He took me to the BMX “ You’re not allowed to turn pro in the side of racing , I try to be a charismatic U of track when I was five ; it was always U.S . until you’re 19 , so I still had to race personand like to help people out at rtesythe somethingmy dad and I did together . We amateur here , ” she says . “ I went to do track . I just want to be a good person , coua s connect a lot [ through BMX ] , and we still two different world cups in 2019 - 2020 , nice person . ” Photo SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM VOLUME 14 ISSUE 1 | 55