Two young Walkerville brothers made their school and community proud with strong performances at a recent provincial cycling event.

Although the races were not school events, Aloe Ridge Primary School praised the achievements of Liam and Landon Wright-Smouse, who performed well at the Gauteng Cycling Combined Provincial Championships on January 17 and 18 in Boksburg.

The championships were hosted by Gauteng Cycling and brought together riders from five provinces. The event played an important role in selecting riders for the Gauteng Cycling Youth Team, which will compete at the South African Cycling Championships in October.

Both boys are members of Team MCG Cycling and spent their December holiday training hard to prepare for the event.

Supporting each other
Landon said his love for cycling began in a simple way. “I just got a mountain bike and went to my first race and really liked it. I went to more races and really, really liked it. Then I got really good at it after I got my first road bike,” he said.

His family has always supported him, “My family bought me my bikes, paid for races, and encouraged me. I also train with my brother and my father. My mother bought me my first bike and that made me feel like myself whenever I was on the bike,” he shared.

Liam and Landon train together and help each other during races.

“We always try to just have fun. As the older brother, I push him up hills when he needs it, encourage him, and give him tips to get faster,” Landon said.

Strong results
Competing in the U13 category, Liam performed impressively, finishing fourth in the individual time trial on Saturday and third in Sunday’s 36km road race. The field was competitive, making his podium finish an achievement.

Eight-year-old Landon competed in the U11 category and matched his brother’s success. He placed fourth in the time trial and third in the 18.7km road race, showing great talent. Liam said his result had motivated him even more.

“Placing third in the Gauteng champs encourages me to continue working harder and win a few more races to qualify for the Gauteng team and compete for my province at the SA champs,” he said.

Landon said the experience made him feel confident. “I felt happy. It makes me feel like I can take on more races. This is the first time I competed at the Gauteng champs, and it made me feel cool. I’m looking forward to being at the SA champs with my brother this year.”

Looking ahead
Both boys have big dreams, not only in sport but also at school.

“This makes me feel like I can do anything. I’d like to achieve an academic top 10 at school and continue achieving podium positions in my cycling races and my triathlons scheduled for this year,” shared Liam.

Landon added, “I want to try to beat my brother at a triathlon and get a top 10 in academics at my school again. I also want to qualify for the Gauteng team and go to the SA cycling champs in October.”

A sporting family
Besides cycling, the boys compete in swimming for their club, Perfect Strokes, and will take part in the Tinman Triathlon Series this year. They are following in the footsteps of their father, Noel Smouse, the current SA age group champion (40-45) in triathlon and duathlon.

Their achievements have set a promising tone for the 2026 sporting year, and Aloe Ridge Primary is proud to celebrate the success of these young athletes.