Sport

Shepparton riders donning the green and gold at BMX World Championships

By Josh Huntly

Jul 1, 2026

From back left, Bryce MacGibbon, Tim Austin, Kate Fairgray and Nathan May, along with (from bottom left) Aidee Shephard, Remi Poole, and Layla Kelly, will represent Australia at the upcoming World Championships. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Shepparton has continued to establish its reputation as a hotbed for two-wheeled talent.

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This time, it’s the BMX Club which will be well-represented on the world stage, with eight of its members set to represent Australia at the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Brisbane next month.

The sport’s marquee showpiece arrives in Australia for the first time in more than a decade and, with it, thousands of BMX riders from across the globe vying for honours in their respective categories.

Bryce MacGibbon, Tim Austin, Nathan May will adorn the green and gold in the senior age brackets, while Kate Fairgray will form part of New Zealand’s 285-rider squad.

The youngest Shepp-resentatives will be Remi Poole, Layla Kelly, and Aidee Shephard, all part of Australia’s contingent of about 950 qualified competitors.

Layla Kelly, 10, and Remi Poole, 8, will be some of Shepparton’s youngest representatives at World’s. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

“They’re all super excited,” Shepparton BMX Club secretary Karen Kelly said.

“These kids and adults have all worked really hard to get where they are.

“It’s pretty cool to have so many of us going, the great part about it is you all become quite close as well, so the camaraderie of the club is great.”

Each rider earned qualification on their home track in April’s BMX Racing National Championships held in Shepparton, picked after performing strongly and meeting key selection criteria.

They’ll have an opportunity to see the world’s elite compete first over the first couple of days before taking the track themselves in search of a coveted World Plate.

“We’re pretty proud of having eight going off to ride,” Kelly said.

“I think there's about 950 Australian riders; being we’re the host country, the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) allows you more spots as the home country's riders.

“The buzz is huge in BMX at the moment, especially in Australia.

“We’re going to get to see the best riders in the world coming across, but also so many get the opportunity from our own country to race worlds.”

The 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Championships will be held from July 17 to 25 at the Brisbane BMX Centre — and Shepparton will be cheering its eight representatives every step of the way.