Monday, February 18, 2008 Her own race By Tawny Gwynne M. Estolloso St. Theresa’s College
THE ground rumbled as two motorcycles blazed by at full speed. The engine roared as they hastily went up the hill. The finish line was drawing close. With full determination, Shayne clutched the handles of her bike, swallowed hard and whizzed toward the finish line. It was another great day of motocross racing.
Thirteen-year-old Shanylle Regen G. Reluya, or Shayne to her close friends, actually enjoys the thrills and challenges of motocross racing. Her friends would describe her as rather adventurous than your average thirteen-year-olds. Not only does she keep herself busy with motocross racing and competitions, but she also has her hands full with badminton, soccer, soccer baseball, chess, billiards, Sepak takraw and airsoft—basically sports that keep her on the go.
But motocross has always been her passion. “I just like the challenges and thrill I get from sports that are usually played by boys, very few girls are into motocross racing. And I’m not the kind of girl who just stays home and watches television all day,” she says when asked what she liked about motocross racing.
It was her dad, who was also once a rider, who inspired her to join motocross racing. She started riding when she was in fourth grade, and she has been hooked since then. "I recalled saying during one of my dads races, I said 'I want to do just that someday'.” Today, she is definitely living her ambitions, with several medals and awards she won in previous competitions.
Motocross is not an easy sport. “In Motocross, you really have to fall down to learn your lesson,” she said of her learning experiences. One of the things Shayne learned in motocross is sportsmanship. “You have to be a good person to all your opponents. In this game, there are no enemies. We’re all friends even if we are not in the same team.” Motocross racing entails learning how to control the bike, knowing safety measures and making decisions quickly during the game.
“You can’t avoid accidents and they always happen during the race, everything depends on the decisions you make, whether you would overtake or not or jump off that hump. You won’t even see your opponent on the other side of the hump that’s why you need to make decisions as quickly as you can during the race.”
For those who want to put their endurance to the test, here is a bit of advice from Shayne: “For the first time, it’s really scary to ride the motorbike. But we all should face our fears and just have fun during the game. In the process, we will be able to learn a lot about ourselves and at the same time have fun riding the motorbike. Who cares if you lose or you win?”
As she continues to engage in her favorite sport and invite other youngsters to try it, Shayne also advices all thrill seekers not to neglect their studies and to avoid illegal vices.
“In any sport or game you play, don’t ever cheat and don’t think negatively of other people. And don't do drugs," she shares.
In all her endeavors, Shayne always reminds herself of the saying she believes in: "Life without risk is not worth living. If it is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”
