Kassee Morrison, 18, is the top women’s motocross rider in the region.
She finished first in both the MCQMX North and South series, and placed ninth in Western Canadian Ladies Nationals too.
Racing motorbikes has been Morrison’s all-consuming passion for four years. She moved to Quesnel from Calgary in 2014 and started racing right away, as it was far more affordable here.
Her first bike she raced on was a 125TTR, and she faced a slew of challenges.
“I didn’t have the endurance,” she says.
“And physically, I wasn’t in the best shape at the time.”
Morrison, despite having grown up watching motocross, didn’t realize the bike doesn’t do all the work.
“I found out that you have to have a lot of muscle to be able to throw the bike around,” she says, adding lifting a motorbike up after you are already tired and have fallen off is a nightmare.
“So I started practising a lot more. I went to the track every day for an entire summer.
“And I’m not exaggerating,” she adds.
“Every day!”
Her endurance improved dramatically, and the commitment paid off in other ways too.
“I can ride in any type of weather,” she says, pointing out that training every single day results in having to get used to track conditions that vary greatly.
“In Prince George it’s always rainy, so it’s huge for me that I can ride in mud as well as I do. And I can ride in extreme heat, because of practising for the last few years exposed to the elements.”
Morrison also credits her home course.
“Coming from a sand track, you have a lot more strength and endurance because it’s always moving and it’s never the same.”
She is on a five-week break now, but will be participating in the three-round B.C. Championship series in Williams Lake, Prince George and Nanaimo.
Getting a higher number in national competition is her next goal.
Morrison plans to pursue an education assistant diploma in Penticton in January and is thinking she will be able to ride year-round while she is there.
sports@quesnelobserver.com
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