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Written by Art Heinrichs
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Monday, 20 October 2008 05:00 |
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PRESS RELEASE Tampa, Florida: Tyler Heinrichs is one of only a handful of 13 year old Americans that can boast they represented their country in a world race on another continent. From July 20th through July 27th this BMX'er raced his heart out for the USA at the 2009 BMX World Championships held in Adelaide, Australia. Tyler had quite a trip to Australia to race the World Championships and of course was not without unique events. He left the warm breezes of Tampa, Florida on Saturday July 18th for the long trip to Adelaide, Australia. Accompanied by his family, after 28 hours of consecutive flying and layovers they finally touched down in Adelaide on Monday July 20th (they lost a day as they crossed the international dateline). Soon thereafter the BMX'er arrived at the Team USA Host Hotel. As quickly as he arrived Tyler was on the point to build both of his bikes and get to the business of practicing. Tyler’s trainer M.J. Peters was on hand to ensure Tyler had the support he would need for this level of competition. About 3:00 in the afternoon Tyler headed over to the local track to get loosened up. He felt good and certainly has increased his skill level since we last saw him race for the USA in China last year. As the sun began to set over the Adelaide Hills in the background and while the dew started to collect on the track, Tyler pushed it again and again to make his jumps as spectacular as possible. I guess it’s his thing. Out of nowhere Tyler’s front wheel skids on the track to the left and without warning… slams him to the ground. The inertia of the crash was intense causing Tyler to land on the shoulder in which he suffered a clavicle fracture only 7 months ago. The Team Physician performed an extensive evaluation and was convinced that Tyler had only aggravated his previous injury and most likely did not necessarily need to seek local medical intervention, but a decision had to be made. Tyler was able to lift his arm to the center of his chest and not much higher. He suffered pain while at rest and while in motion. It was time for a decision, what would the outcome be if he raced? Would he be able to ride? Would he be able to perform without making his injury worse? This was the decision of the day for him, his parents and his trainer. Over the following 2 days Tyler continued to train on one of the most technically advanced tracks in the world. This track had plenty of skill built into it and you had to have brought your “A” game to compete on that level. Tyler worked his way through the step ups, table tops, step downs, rhythm section and turns to the best of his ability. By the end of the practice sessions it was clear that clearing some of the jumps would be impossible as pulling up on the handlebars of his bike caused excruciating pain. A decision was made. In Tyler’s words, “I have come all this way to represent my country, my sponsors and my family; I will not let this injury cause me to withdraw”. For a 13 year old this was a defining moment in his young BMX career. Over the next 4 days Tyler raced in 2 classes. In the 20" class Tyler worked his way through the 3 motos (qualifying rounds) and was able to advance to the quarter finals. In the quarter final he held the 4th and final qualifying position for most of the track. It was in the third straight that a rider from Great Britain was able to squeeze by him forcing elimination. In the cruiser class Tyler again worked his way through the 3 motos showing the crowd that he was a contender. In the quarter final Tyler drew a bad gate and unfortunately his foot came unclipped from his pedal at the starting gate causing him to loose position that he could never regain. As this young man walked out of the USA pit area he was met by a jubilant crowd of fans. His father was heard saying "I am so proud of this young man, overcoming so many obstacles to attain a place in the world rankings all the while being injured." Once back in the states Tyler sought medical evaluation for his injury. After a myriad of tests, x-rays and CT-scans it was determined that Tyler had fractured his clavicle and separated his shoulder in Australia. Tyler will undergo rehabilitation for his injury for the next 6 weeks effectively causing him to withdraw from the 2009 NBL Grands held in Louisville, KY. What's Tyler have to say? "If you're racing the 2009 Southeast US Championships in October you better watch out, I'll be rested and I'll be there to win!" Tyler is sponsored primarily by locally owned Florida Corporations like AS*I*BE Clothing headquartered in Tampa and DNA Energy Drinks headquartered in Boca Raton. |
