IF the family that plays together stays together then nothing short of the Jaws of Life would be able to break the bonds that bind the Webers of Cairns.
Harald Weber, 36, and his two children, 10-year-old daughter Aislynn and eight-year-old son Ronan, are creating a minor BMX dynasty.
Between the three of them the Webers won five plates at the recent state championships in Cairns.
Harald (35-39yrs men’s) took home the 6Q title in the cruiser class and the 7Q title in the 20 inch bikes, Ronan (8yrs boys) added the 3Q title to his trophy cabinet, while Aislynn (8-10yrs girls’) won the 1Q title in the female cruiser class and retained her crown as the No.1 plate holder in Queensland for her age group.
And while she does not make it out on the track, matriarch of the Weber clan, Debbie, rounds out her family’s involvement in the sport by fulfilling the treasury duties for Cairns BMX Club.
Living in a household that breathes BMX, Harald credited his children for drawing him into the sport.
"I sat on my bum for a while and saw a couple of blokes my age racing and I thought, ‘I can do that’," he said.
"I was in pain for the first 12 months I reckon. It takes a while to develop those muscles in your legs but now I absolutely love it.
"It’s great being able to do it with your kids because you know what they are going through and you can gee each other up."
Not that Harald’s offspring need much encouragement.
The brother and sister, trained by Emma Hoad and Leanne Van den Hooven, have impressed Harald with their commitment to the sport.
"The girl (Aislynn) started out a bit lackadaisical but she’s certainly developed that killer instinct on the bike," he said.
"The boy (Ronan) he’s just blown me away these past six months.
"He’s really started to apply himself. Out of the three of us I would say he would be in the most competitive age group."
