Lara Lessmann is about to go to the Olympic Games in Tokyo

The 21-year-old Lara Lessmann has fought her way up to the top of the world in BMX.

The next goal of the high-flyer: the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

But for Lessmann, BMX is more just a sport, more of an attitude towards life.

• When she was nine, Lara Lessmann pushed for her own BMX bike

• The athlete quickly celebrated successes: Gold at the summer youth games in Argentina

• BMX Freestyle celebrates its premiere at the Olympic Games in Tokyo

Munich - The success story begins in the slaughterhouse.

The name of a skate park in Flensburg.

Lara Lessmann grew up around a kilometer away.

At the age of nine she discovered her enthusiasm for the skate park and saw her brothers drive there every day.

It quickly becomes clear: we need our own bike.

Lessmann's parents initially bought inline skates, “but at some point my desire was just too strong”: “When I had my own bike, there was no stopping it.

I spent day and night in the skate park. "

For Lessmann, BMX is a sport that you have to experience together.

A sport becomes an attitude, an attitude towards life.

In Flensburg, the athlete is involved in youth work with the “sport pirates” and gives BMX workshops.

But then Lessmann has to leave Flensburg for a decisive step in her career.

In 2017 she switched to the elite sports school in Berlin.

“On my first day, I asked myself: where did I actually end up here?

I saw all the athletes around me who were determined to pursue their career plan.

It can make you dizzy.

That's where I learned to bite my way through.

The phase was extremely important for me. "

Instead of in the slaughterhouse, Lessmann now spends her days in the Mellowpark.

And quickly celebrates successes: with 17 freestyle silver at the World Cup in China, gold at the Summer Youth Games in Buenos Aires in 2018: “The youth games were a dress rehearsal for our sport.

It was a lot of fun.

Thousands of athletes who love their sport spend three weeks together.

I'll never forget that feeling. "

A feeling that Lessmann would like to relive.

The BMX discipline freestyle celebrates its premiere at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

And Lessmann gives everything to be in top form in Tokyo: Every day she spends four hours on the bike, plus strength training at the Olympic training center in Berlin and two endurance days on the ergometer.

The 21-year-old relies on the cooperation with mental trainers: “With BMX you have to be mentally fit to the point.

Sure, a backflip on the bike is fun, but it's also scary. ”In freestyle, the athletes have a minute to present the jury with tricks and jumps.

The "run" can be compared to a freestyle in figure skating.

“I live for moments like this, in competitions I can show everyone what I'm capable of,” says Lessmann.

I want to motivate women to assert themselves and not be told in a male-dominated sport like BMX.

Lara Lessmann

The exceptional talent prevails against any resistance.

In Germany there are no indoor training opportunities for BMX Freestyle, and the ramps are often much smaller than at the World Cups: “Welcome to Germany.

This clearly needs to be improved. ”

From a small skate park in Flensburg, Lessmann has fought his way up to the top of the world.

The athlete regularly receives messages from women who see Lessmann as role models: "I want to motivate women to assert themselves and not be told in a male-dominated sport like BMX."

The news will pile up when Lessmann competes on the biggest stage in sport, the Olympic Games, in the summer.

The BMX riders had over two years to collect World Cup points.

Two competitions are scheduled for April (Japan) and May (France), but according to the current status they will not take place:

"Since I am in second place in the Olympic ranking, I plan firmly with Tokyo."

The decision that BMX becomes Olympic was “viewed very critically by the old generation”: “They are probably afraid that our sport will become too mainstream.” There are many competitions in BMX, the athletes are not at world or European championships reliant.

The X-Games, for example, have the status of the Olympics in the scene: “But does my grandma know the X-Games?

Of course not.

Therefore the games for BMX Freestyle are a great stage and a huge step forward. "

Slaughterhouse.

Mellowpark.

Summer games in Argentina.

And then a medal in Tokyo to top off your young career?

“Of course you go to the Olympic Games with the aim of winning.

I do think I'll go all-in.

That doesn't mean that I'm acting recklessly or rushing anything.

But this is going to be one of the greatest moments of my life.

I put everything in there. "

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