Throughout Perry there are students with diverse hobbies. One student in particular is breaking away from mainstream sports and is crushing his competition.

Junior Riley House has been racing BMX since he was five years old. He is sponsored by a factory team called Supercross who funds his racing so he can travel and enter competitions across the country.

House is no ordinary athlete either.

“I finished nationally number nine this year out of all the sixteen year olds in the country,” said House. He was awarded this rank in a BMX competition that happened this November.  

House’s national ranking has also qualified him as a potential 2020 Olympian for BMX.

“When 2020 comes around they will have Olympic trials that will take place at an Olympic training center. They only take three men and two women so you have to be on your game.”

Achieving a high national rank is a feat and just like any other sport requires hours of devotion and persistence. House is no exception as he puts in the time to get to where he has.

“I have seen him practice. The thing about him is that if he messes up ever or if he doesn’t get something right he will go back, start again, and try to nail that before he moves on to the next thing he is working on,” said junior Ian Graham.

House trains six days a week, half of which is spent in the gym and the other half on the track.

Out on the track, House is pushed to excel by his fellow rider, junior Justin Hendley.

“We use each other to improve. One of us was never better and that made it a rivalry.”  

The road to achieving his rank has been long and arduous.

“You go to nationals throughout the year and then you go to what is called the Grands, which is kind of like the Super Bowl of racing, at the end of the year which just happened last week.”

During the nationals stage, competitors gain points based on how well they finish in their races. The more points an athlete earns, the higher they will be placed going into the Grands. In the Grands, players duke it out for their final rankings.  

Currently, House’s ranking earns him points and bragging rights. However, he would soon like to make the transition to professional racing where he can earn money for racing. As for now, House will continue to train to boost his rank and prepare for the Olympic trials.