Kempton Park’s Matthew aims for the skies in BMX racing

BMX rider Matthew Fulton (12) is a force to be reckoned with and aims to make his brand known in motorsport.

Fulton is a Kempton Park BMX Club member but is originally from Krugersdorp.

He has competed in various BMX World Championships locally and on international stages.

In 2018, he went to Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in his first world championship.

“That year, I finished fifth overall in my age category.”

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In 2019, the world championships were in Zolder, Belgium, and Matthew finished in eighth place.

Covid-19 saw the 2020 and 2021 championships cancelled.

“In 2022, I hoped to better my world ranking in Nantes, France, but unfortunately, I crashed out.”

Last year, Matthew travelled to Glasgow, Scotland, for the first UCI Cycling World Championships.

“This was the single biggest cycling event in history and brought together 13 existing individual cycling disciplines into one mega event.

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“In Scotland, I made it to quarterfinals from 109 entries in the U12 boy’s category,” he added.

Matthew said that on his travels, he has met amazing people locally and abroad who are now friends.

“I had the opportunity to meet coach Killian Bernard, who has become a good friend and mentor to me. He has been to SA twice and helped design and build the Cradle track to make it more like the European tracks.

“My favourite rider is Eddy Cloete from France. I was lucky enough to meet him when I was in France in 2022. He has great style on and off the track. I love watching Joris Daudet and Romain Mahieu; they are both incredible riders.”

Matthew said SA’s elite riders give young fans exciting racing to watch.

“I love racing, learning new skills on the track and jumping. I also have lots of fun with my friends on and off the track,” said Matthew.

He said anyone can ride. The club’s youngest riders are four and five, and the oldest are 50 or older.

His love for riding started in 2016 when he met Alex Limberg and Klye Dodd at the Cradle Bike Park.

“My dad bought me my first bike that weekend, and I loved it from the first time I rode it.

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“I home-school online so that I can train daily. My coaches and team have put together a specific training schedule I follow.

“I have track practice six times a week. Some days, I am in the gym, and other days, I have a sprint schedule,” he added.

Mathew said that through BMX racing, he has learnt many skills he carries through life.

“I would love to see BMX in SA grow to the numbers of the European clubs.

“People talk about the 1980s when there were over 200 riders at a club event on the weekend. It would be great to get those numbers again.”

Matthew hopes to bring home a world number one title from his next World Championships.

“My biggest goal is to participate in the Olympics one day. I hope to be able to ride competitively for as long as Joris Daudet,” he said.