‘I had butterflies’: Shepparton BMX community ecstatic with Commonwealth Games coup

By Daniel Webb

Oct 5, 2022

All smiles: Shepparton BMX Club members Ben Fitzsimmons, Austin McNair, Hunter Fitzsimmons, Zac Brown, Levi Brown and Dale Brown alongside hall of famer Leigh Egan at the Commonwealth Games announcement on Wednesday. Photo: Greater Shepparton City Council

Shepparton’s BMX community was sent into a spin on Wednesday morning, with the announcement the city will host the sport at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Boasting a rich history of BMX success, Shepparton’s world class facility will play host to some of the planet’s best riders in four years’ time.

Overjoyed by the news, Australian BMX royalty Leigh Egan said it was an “extraordinary announcement’’.

“The simple fact that we’ve got a facility like this that can be utilised and has been looked upon by the powers that be that it’s good enough to run a Commonwealth Games event ― we’ll take that every day of the week,” Egan said.

“This is going to help us as a community.”

A member of the Australian BMX Hall of Fame, Egan said the Games were a significant coup, with the coverage the event gets bigger than previous World Championship events held in the city.

Like Egan, the Shepparton BMX Club is over the moon that Shepparton has been selected to host such a significant event, with vice-president Dale Brown labelling the announcement as “really exciting’’.

“I had butterflies,” Brown said.

“It’s an amazing thing and it’s for the whole community, it will bring so much to the community.”

Brown said the event would help the club build a stronger member base, while upgrades could also be on the cards for the host facility.

“It’s huge for us,” he said.

“We’ve held World Cup rounds, we held the Australian titles a few years ago and we’ve got the Australian titles next year again in Shepparton.

“It’s all happening, but it (the Commonwealth Games) is up there.”

Set to provide a great opportunity for young BMX riders in the region to be exposed to high level content, Shepparton may well see another Leigh Egan come through the ranks.

“It’s a moment they’ll treasure,” Brown said.

“To be involved in an event like this is massive for them (the youth of the club).”

The BMX competition will headline a trio of bike events to be held in Shepparton at the 2026 Games, with time trial cycling events also set to feature in the city.