My story, written by Beth Shriever.

I have my brother, Luke, to thank for getting me into BMX racing.

He got us both invited down to the BMX track 15 minutes from our house to try it out. My dad took us, and he spent most of the time pushing us up and down the jumps! And then the rest, as they say, is history.

In BMX racing, the transition from a hobby to a career can happen almost without you noticing. I won my first European Championships at the age of 12 or 13 and made my first world championships final at around the same time. It was after these two events that I felt there could be potential to carry on and race professionally.

I’ve had quite a few coaches along the way. Mark Seaman was one of my earlier coaches, and Marcus Bloomfield’s coached me for a number of years as a professional. And whilst they’ve been vital in helping me to improve on the bike, my family’s been my main inspiration throughout my whole career. They’ve kept me going, kept me grounded, and have had a massive influence on me competing and racing BMX. They became a key part of the wider BMX community early on, which is so tightly knit and supportive.

Making the step up to the elite category was a big deal for me. I used to look up to Mariana Pajón, the queen of BMX, and then one day I found myself riding alongside her. I won gold in Tokyo ahead of Mariana, but to this day I’m still a bit shell-shocked that I get to race with her because she’s so inspirational. She just has that aura that’s like no other, and always gives time to people. I try to do the same now, as that sort of attitude from other elite riders really inspired me as a young rider.

Paris is just around the corner. I’m excited, not least because the track suits me and plays to my strengths. I came away from the test event earlier this year with a win, which was a massive confidence boost and helped me to prepare even more for the main event.

I’ve struggled with a couple of injuries this year, but at the moment I’m feeling good thanks to the support of my team around me. I wouldn’t be Olympics-ready without the physios, mechanics, coaching staff, and everyone else who’s got me to where I am at this point in the season, and I’m extremely grateful to all of them.

I’m most looking forward to having my friends and family there to support me – something that wasn’t possible in Tokyo. Having a crowd full-stop will play a huge part in my experience – the French love BMX racing, so they’ll definitely bring the noise. You just know the atmosphere is going to be insane.

There’s no sport like BMX racing. Not only do we all look out for each other, but the adrenaline rush is hard to match, you get to travel a lot and explore new places that you wouldn’t ever have been to otherwise. It’s just good vibes all round, really.

It's been a journey, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.