Meet BMX racing star Brooke Crain of Visalia

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- At 18 years old, a South Valley teenager is already a star in the world of BMX racing, an elite biker, you might say. But she wasn't always so excited to learn to ride on two wheels.

A natural on two wheels, Visalia's Brooke Crain actually cried as a six year old, when her father gave her a bike for the first time.

"I did not want any part of it at all," said Crain. "And he's like 'I just bought it. You can try it. Whatever. Whatever you want.'"

But the tears soon turned into cheers from everyone around her that saw immediate talent. And now, the 18-year-old Crain is ranked number one in the world, in the Elite Women's BMX Class. Not that she'd ever let on.

"There's so many other people in the sport that have accomplished so much more that I have," said Crain. "I just try to be humble. I don't like to be a cocky person at all."

And according to her fellow Elite BMXers, that's what sets her apart, and makes them think she is on her way to big things.

"You have somebody that learns to respect that talent that they have, and start sacrificing some of the things that normal kids would go out and do," said Tony Hoffman. "And I think because she's learning that at such a young age that she's going to be able to achieve whatever she draws up for herself and wants to get."

What she wants right now is to represent her country at the London Olympics next summer. BMX racing was introduced for the 2008 Beijing games.

"It was only like two minutes long," said Crain. "There was like no coverage for it at all."

But now she hopes to be that star athlete on television, giving little girls across the country an extreme sports role model, to break existing stereotypes.

"I think little girls think this is just mainly a guy's sport. But it's not. There's so many girls," said Crain. "It used to just be guys that raced Supercross and now the girls are doing it. So it's getting bigger."

"If she didn't have her helmet on you'd think that she was a dude. She rides the bike that good," said Tony Hoffman. "And I think that will bring attention to the women as more girls aspire to ride a bike like her."

Just don't blink or you may miss her. A blur of blond hair whizzing by, at a BMX track near you.

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