When Lachlan Wallis broke his thumb and was unable to ride for five weeks, older sister Brooke decided she would jump on his bike.
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Fast forward six months and the pair, along with brother Ethan, are in Shepparton this week racing for national plates.
The four-day BMX Australia National Championships get underway on Wednesday, with the inaugural Pro Spectacular. The cruiser and challenge classes that the Wallis siblings will be competing in then follow on Thursday and Friday.
Brooke will ride in the 13-years girls, Ethan the 11-years boys and Lachlan the 9-years boys at the titles,
Lachlan was the first of the siblings to make the transition from the soccer pitch to the track, with all three representative soccer players.
He still is. Two weekends ago after racing at San Remo in the fifth round of the state series on Saturday, Lachlan turned out for the Northern Inland under-9s in Armidale on Sunday.
"About two years ago Lachie started with BMX casually," mum Peta said.
"Last year he decided he wanted to get more involved."
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With his eyes on competing at the World Championships, she said he decided he wanted to do the state series.
Unfortunately in the first race of the series this year he broke his thumb, keeping him off the bike for about five weeks.
Having watched her brother race and with his bike not being used, Brooke decided she "wanted to give it a go".
She said it was a bit nerve-racking at the start, but quickly took to the sport, Ethan also following suit.
She added that it was great having her brothers also involved in the sport.
"It gives me a challenge and someone to compete against," she said.
"And being the only girl in the club, that's exciting."
Part of a seven-strong Tamworth City BMX Club contingent competing at the nationals she was feeling a mix of emotions heading in.
"I'm pretty excited and pretty nervous, it's probably the biggest race I've competed in," she said.
She is fresh from making her first final of the state series, finishing sixth in the most recent round at San Remo.
She backed that up in the Welcome to Victoria BMX event staged as a warm-up to the nationals on the weekend, making it through to the final of her under-13 girls event.
Jack Davis, Dan Morris, Zac Whalan and Mark Stones are also representing the Titans at the titles.
