Red Deer Olympian Molly Simpson signs an autograph for a young ban at the Provincials 7 and Canada Cup competition at the Red Deer BMX Club track on Aug. 24, 2024. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

SUPERSTAR

Inspiration to many, Molly Simpson returns to home track and much fanfare following success at Olympics

Aug 24, 2024 | 2:52 PM

Molly Simpson, who placed fifth in women’s BMX at the Paris 2024 Olympics earlier this summer, is riding on her hometown track this weekend.

Simpson is taking part in the Red Deer Provincial 7 and Canada Cup Finals event at the Red Deer BMX venue (5504 56 Avenue).

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Simpson was the talk of the track, and her likeness adorned the race area as she signed likely hundreds of autographs.

Justin Holliday, vice president of Red Deer BMX Club, says the event and Simpson’s presence is a huge deal.

“We have over 500 riders from all over Canada here, and there’s a lot of great talent. There’s a lot of hard work and dedication put into these events,” says Holliday, whose 10-year-old daughter is a top-ranked rider nationally and is ‘Simpson’s number one fan.’

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“It’s amazing what Molly has done. She’s set the bar so high, and there are a lot of kids here who look up to her. She’s a big inspiration to all of us, here in Red Deer especially.”

(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

Another who looks up to Simpson is 16-year-old Hudson White, who is one of Alberta’s top-ranked riders for his age.

“Molly has inspired me a lot in my journey. She’s also my neighbour so I’ve known her forever,” says White, who’s been racing for five years.

“I definitely watched all her races at the Olympics. She’s inspired so many, all the little girls especially. She’s showing people what they can do and that nothing’s impossible.”

Then there’s the 21-year-old herself, who was sporting the familiar white, red and baby blue #44 maple leaf-adorned kit that Canadians saw on TV a few weeks ago.

Simpson raced multiple times on Saturday and was certainly the one to beat.

But in between, she was sharing smiles and fist bumps with just about everyone, while signing autograph after autograph.

“It all started here 11 years ago. To be here today as an Olympian is something that’s pretty cool and I’m definitely grateful,” she says.

“It’s almost a breath of fresh air to race here again. It’s not stressful, and not that I was really feeling the pressure in Paris, but this is so much more of a relaxed event. I’m here for the fans, my family and to have fun.”

Molly Simpson with more of the endless young fans who came to greet her in Red Deer on Aug. 24, 2024. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

When it comes to the fan interactions, nothing could be better.

“I love it. I want to give back to the sport, and every kid who comes to me with a smile on their face makes me smile,” she continued.

“I’m happy to be this person who is approachable, doing autographs and t-shirts and everything. It’s a dream come true.

Simpson is back in the proverbial saddle starting Aug. 30-31 in Louisville, Kentucky and will be racing in North American for the remainder of 2024. Qualifying for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 begins in 2026.

Meantime, Holliday encourages Red Deerians to come on down, not just on Aug. 25 to check out the action, but on Tuesday race nights. The club, which has about 100 members, offers rental bikes to get young riders onto the track to give it a try.

More info is at reddeerbmx.com.

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READ MORE

• Molly Simpson reflects on fifth-place BMX finish at Paris Olympics
• UPDATE: Molly Simpson finishes 5th in BMX in Paris
• Red Deer BMXer Molly Simpson ready to roar on Olympic stage
• World champion BMXer from Red Deer, Molly Simpson, accepts Mayor’s Recognition Award

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