Earlier this year when 14-year-old Justin Hill, of Windsor, decided to try his hand at BMX racing, he greatly underestimated just how quickly he would rise to the top of the sport.
But after his performance at the recent Race of Champions (ROC) in Tulsa, Okla., over Thanksgiving weekend, Hill is now making a name for himself in the BMX world.
Hill was eligible to compete in the national event because he won the Colorado state qualifying race at Montrose BMX earlier this summer.
After his qualifying heat in Tulsa, he took first place in the ROC final event on Friday and became the national champion from his age-14 intermediate class.
Hill was proud of his performance in the win, but he's almost as thrilled with the prestigious hardware he now owns.
He will now be able to display the "ROC #1"plate on the front of his handle bars until next year's showdown in Tulsa, as a sign to other riders that he's for real.
"I definitely feel more intimidating now," said Hill, whose been riding BMX for less than a year. "It's going to give me more confidence in my races, just knowing that I actually beat some great riders."
During his fast-track to success, however, Hill hasn't been the only one smitten with BMX fever. His mother Darlene is by far his biggest supporter.
"I'm really proud of him," she said. "He's trained really hard, and in a big event like that, some kids look at all the competition from all over the country and get really nervous. But he stuck with what he knew, and he rode with his heart."
On Saturday and Sunday, Hill also competed in the Grand Nationals.
The event marks the end of the BMX season and is considered to be the "Super Bowl" of the sport by many enthusiasts.
Hill needed three races on Saturday to make it to the finals on Sunday, a race that featured the best eight riders from the field of nearly 50.
He took third in the main event on Sunday, much to the surprise of his friends and family.
A website, www.GO211.com, carried live feeds of all the races during the weekend, which allowed Hill's family members from all over the country to watch him race.
"My friends told me that if I made it to the finals, that would be incredible," said Hill. "Taking third place was a big shock."
Hill's third-place trophy stands nearly as tall as he does, a sign that his accomplishments are pretty big for a 14-year-old.
With nine total wins in the American Bicycling Association (ABA), Hill is on pace to get the 25 wins needed to turn pro, or expert, by the time he's fifteen in June.
His next chance to pick up a win comes when the season resumes in January at the Silver Dollar Nationals in Reno, Nevada.
Although Hill would enjoy earning some prize money and having sponsors to offset the costs of racing, his long-term goals have not changed.
"The 2012 Olympics is going to have BMX racing again, and that's really where I want to be. That's my dream."