By Tiana Pringley
For most teenagers weekends are spent hanging out with friends, sleeping in and going to parties but not for 16-year-old Mason Thorn, who spends his weekends racing on high-speed BMX tracks with one goal in mind – becoming one of the best in the world.
BMX stands for bike motorcross. It’s a racing sport where riders compete on dirt tracks filled with jumps, sharp corners and steep hills. Riders use 20-inch wheels and race from a standing start behind a metal gate, when the gates drop riders launch forward and the first to cross the line at the end wins.
Races are short, fast and everything comes down to reaction time, strength and control.
Thorn is from western Sydney and trains at his local BMX track up to four times a week, balancing training, school and recovery. He trains the way he does because he has an end goal of making it to the Olympics.
“My goal is to win the world championships and possibly go to the 2032 Olympics in Australia,” he said.
Mason started riding at the age of three, inspired to join BMX by his older brother.
“I actually have an older brother, and he started BMX racing when he was really young,” he said. “I raced when I was three years old and I won my first ever race and I’ve just done it ever since.”
Although BMX became a major part of mason life it wasn’t always the smooth journey he was looking for. In 2023 Mason quit the sport after falling out of love with it and struggling with confidence, however a conversation with his best friend changed everything.
“My best mate said to me one night: ‘We should get on the bikes’,” Mason said.
At first, he hesitated, unsure if he wanted to return. But after spending time riding again, something clicked.
“It was the funniest night I ever had,” he said. “He definitely was the reason that I came back into BMX.”
After returning to racing in 2024 Mason won the NSW State Championships, something he thought he would never be able to achieve despite finishing second twice. From there he pushed himself even harder.
At the National Championship in Perth Mason placed fourth, earning him a qualification spot for the BMX World Championships in Denmark.
“When I qualified, I said to my dad: ‘I will train every single day and prove to you that I’m worthy of going to the worlds’,” he said.
“I didn’t miss a single day of training. I worked hard, got up early, focused on nutrition, sleep and recovery.”
Thorn’s dedication paid off, travelling to Denmark became one of the proudest moments of his life, especially with his family by his side, and his family support is one of the biggest reasons behind his success.
“It was a very surreal moment seeing them after the final and seeing how proud they were of me,” Thorn said. “There’s no one that can support me more than my family do.”
Like any athlete that is serious about their sport Thorn’s schedule is intense. His week is packed with gym sessions, sprint training and BMX practice, often leaving him no time for parties or hanging out with friends.
“I sacrifice a lot of things for this,” he said.
BMX is not only physical demanding, it is mentally challenging too. It’s a sport that requires a lot to confidence.
“I think BMX is a pretty individual sport,” Thorn said. “You need to be mentally strong more than physically strong.”
“If you don’t have confidence, then you’re not going to do well.”
Recently Thorn was hit with a minor setback after injuring his ankle during a race at his home track. The injury placed him in a medical boot and temporarily off the bike. But he is still focused, working on mental prep and recovery.
“Just recovery and physio,” he said.
Despite the challenges Thorn’s sights remain on bigger opportunities to come, including racing in France next year for the World Championships and one day representing Australia at the Olympics.
Currently he is preparing for the upcoming BMX World Championships in Brisbane where he hopes to perform strongly in front of an Australian crowd.
“It’ll be really cool to race a home world championship,” he said. “Pressure makes diamonds.”
Thorn’s journey shows how determination, discipline and support can turn a childhood hobby into something bigger and his advice for young riders is simple.
“Just ride your bike,” he said. “Don’t take it too seriously too young.”
For Thorn success has not come from rushing the process. It has come from getting back up, putting in the work and laying it all out on the track.
Featured image: One lap to make it count. Photos: Oksaen Media, Mason Thorn
