Chris Cunningham has a Hollister garage full of motorcycles. A few years back, those bikes sparked intrigue from his daughter, Christina, then 3 years old. When she won a deal between the two – by riding a bicycle without training wheels before age 4 – she was supposed to get a motorized dirt bike.
As a last-ditch idea to divert her attention elsewhere, with safety in mind, Christina’s father took her to Manzanita Park in Prunedale on a Tuesday to check out BMX bike races, held twice a week. After that first experience, she borrowed a bicycle and returned the next Thursday to race against other young riders.
“We just kind of jumped into it,” said her dad, who acknowledged knowing little track etiquette at the time because he didn’t have much prior experience in the sport. “She fell in love with BMX right away.”
Christina, it turned out, had an extraordinary knack for racing dirt bikes – the ones without the motors – over obstacles and against other fear-averse competitors on the BMX circuit.
Christina started racing locally at age 3 and 1/2, in the state series at 4, and at nationals by age 5. She has lit up the track at every level, specializing in fast starts out of the turn that often lead to victories.
In 2012, she finished first in the state and then ninth in the 5-year-old category at the BMX nationals held in late November. She and her dad were confident this week – after sweeping through the Northern California state qualifiers, winning her first four races and guaranteeing prime position heading into this year’s Grand Nationals in Oklahoma starting Nov. 28 – that she could finish in the top 3 this time and even first.
Her most recent first-place finish in qualifiers came Saturday in Napa.
She has a mounting collection of trophies, too many to keep them all, and she also has a prestigious “NAG” (National Age Group) ranking of 10th in the 6-year-old girls division for her performance so far this year. Her NAG ranking is based on a points total compiled while regularly competing against some of the nation’s stiffest competition, being on the West Coast where many of the best riders live. Her dad pointed out that Christina, twice, has beaten the girl with the No. 2 ranking in the country.
With their frequency of travel in the national series based on time and money, the schedule takes them to places like Reno twice a year, Chula Vista, Bakersfield and Oregon, her father said. Two weeks ago in Las Vegas – he said the competition there is almost as tough as Grand Nationals – she took third, fourth and fourth in respective races.
It isn’t all about the accolades, though. Each of those trips has allowed Christina to catch up with her now-close racing friends, girls with names like Danica, Brooklyn and Maya, as excitedly noted by Christina.
“Every time we go somewhere, all the 6-year-old girls get together,” her dad said.
Although Christina is a competitor on the track, she possesses the innocent demeanor of a normal 6-year-old girl. As her father spoke of her achievements, she remained seated and mostly quiet, occasionally spinning in a swivel chair, playing with a colorful pair of sunglasses or examining her dad’s hat.
When she gets on the track, though, it’s all about racing. With a smile, Christina succinctly answered that her goals when competing are to go fast and take first.
She and her father talked of perhaps dreaming big enough to eventually reach the Olympics, which recently added BMX racing to its lineup.
“Who knows, if she sticks with it?” said her dad.
“I want to go to the Olympics,” said Christina, who has displayed athletic versatility so far while taking part in softball, soccer and gymnastics, and earlier this summer winning her age division in the Cupertino kids triathlon, in just her third competition in that sport.
With such a lofty goals, while still trying to keep the activities fun, Chris leads his daughter in various training activities. He said they expect to increase that workload soon to prepare for nationals. They do some basic strength training and sprints. They also do more technical work that helps to maximize her foot speed on the pedals, which helps on race days.
“I pedal fast and I get a good gate start,” she said.
GET TO KNOW:
Christina Cunningham
What is your favorite …?
TV show: SpongeBob SquarePants
Food: Pot stickers, and mashed potatoes and gravy
Animal: Giraffes and baby giraffes
Color: Purple and pink
Other hobby: Gymnastics and soccer
