Elite

Liam Phillips

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D.O.B.:   3/11/1989

Residence:  Burnham-On-Sea , England

Email Address:  liamphillips999@hotmail.com

Number of years racing:  14

Favorite Food:  Anything and everything! Chinese and Lasagne are always good though

Favorite Music:  British bands such as The Enemy, Snow Patrol, Arctic Monkeys

Favorite Movie:  Blood Diamond, Men of Honor

Favorite Track:  Too many to choose from in Europe . Cheddar, Echichen, Winterthur , Montelimar.

With the Olympics coming up, you are a member of the Great Britain Team which is the UK ’s elite team of BMX athletes training for the Olympics.  Tell us how that affects your everyday life and what rewards there are to being part of this team:  Being part of the GB Team allows me to train full-time. I am funded by UKSport so without their support I wouldn’t be able to spend my days training and trying to go faster. When I go away to races everything is taken care of. Mechanic’s, physio’s etc make everything a lot easier and allow me to focus on riding my bike. The GB Team has been talked about as the best Cycling Program in the world and it’s great to be part of that.

What are your thoughts about BMX in the Olympics and do you think this will benefit the sport of BMX in anyway?  Will you represent Great Britain in the Olympics?  I hope to represent GB at the games, but I am a 2012 prospect first and foremost. I have seen major corporate sponsors start showing interest in Bmx racing, something that wouldn’t have happened without the Olympics. I hope that kids see Bmx as an exciting sport that they can participate in, and hopefully enjoy it as much as I do!

Traveling the world racing is like the “Rock Star” part of BMX today.  Tell us how you achieved “Rock Star” status for Great Britain and if it is true that they pay for everything? If not, how do you afford the BMX lifestyle you have?: I am fortunate that Cycling in the UK has had great success and therefore money has been made available. The GB Team do pay for everything today but it hasn’t always been that way, for years my parents had to pay for it all so I’m extremely lucky to have such great parents.

BMX will be in the Olympics in 2008 and in 2012 (after that we don’t know).  What are your plans for after this year’s Olympics?  Will you continue racing and make a career out of racing or go to college or?  I am a 2012 prospect so everything I do is preparing myself for 2012. With the games being in my home country there is even more of an incentive. There will be huge expectation resting on the shoulders of everybody at the 2012 games so things will be exciting for sure

You have moved here to the United States for a few months and you are staying with Joey Brad ford.  Explain why you wanted to be here in the US and how this will benefit your training for the Olympics: Last year I was injured a lot and that affected my season. I am first year elite now so I have stepped up into the big class I guess. In Europe there are 130 riders at each race so each person is willing to take much higher risks to enable them to make the main. My season will revolve around the 2008 worlds so staying injury free is a must for me. I think the best way of doing this is out in the U.S where the riders have a lot of respect for each other yet are fast and competitive.

Since you have raced all over the world and at different times lived and raced here in the US , tell us what you like about racing in Europe vs. racing here in the USA : Racing in the U.S is much more relaxed and I am enjoying it at this point in my career. In Europe the scene is very professional so it feels like there is a lot of pressure on you at times. I enjoy racing both but they are very different.

Talk about some things or hobbies you enjoy doing other than riding/racing: I spend a lot of time with my girlfriend and she enjoys watching the racing and supports me a lot. I have some great friends outside of racing that I really enjoy spending time with. Being away a lot racing all year is hard but as soon as im home I hang out with them as much as I can. I guess my life is very different to a normal 18 year old in the UK but they understand and support me 100%.

Describe your best racing accomplishment:  I don’t think I have a best one. Winning the European Championships was a great feeling and finishing 2^nd at the worlds twice.

Describe your worst racing experience (on the track or off):  To date I don’t really have any bad memories that stick to mind. But last years season was definitely the most frustrating. I moved to Manchester to train with Shanaze (Reade) and various other riders on the Velodrome. I trained hard and everything was going great and I really felt I was doing everything I could to give myself the best shot at winning the World Championships. I went to my 1^st race of the 2007 season and crashed in practice, braking my shoulder blade and hurting my shoulder. I had surgery and was of my bike for a total of 3 ½ months. I got back racing and started getting some good results when I crashed and broke my collarbone. Up until 2 weeks before the worlds I couldn’t ride my bike but had a cortisone injection so I could race. A really frustrating time for sure.

Who is your favorite or most respected rider on the track and why:  I would probably have to say Joey ( Bradford ). I have grown up racing him and we have been friends for a long time. Joey works hard and his results show that. He doesn’t do anything fancy on the track and just gets the job done.

Tell us about what goals you have for both life and racing:  I guess my life revolves around my racing so I would love to represent my country at the Olympic Games and win a medal. I try to be the best I can be at whatever I do, if its go-karts or monopoly I want to win! I aim to be somebody my family can be proud of and that others enjoy to be around.

What racing tip or advice would you like to give other riders:  Enjoy racing as you can always be competitive and have fun at the same time. Keep your feet on the ground at all times. You may win race after race but big headed, arrogant people always come down to earth with a bigger bump.

Final thoughts or anything you would like to say:  First of I would like to thank my family, without them I wouldn’t be in the position I am today. They have sacrificed a lot for me and I really appreciate it. I would like to thank you, Greg, for showing support for not only myself but for every Crupi rider in Europe throughout the years. Everybody involved with the GB Team, Jamie Staff for his help throughout the years and of course the Bradford family. They have always welcomed me to their home in Monterey and I hope I haven’t been too much trouble!