Ava Corley | Accelerating into ‘24

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Follow Ava on Instagram

Photos by Fifteen BMX | Steve Diamond Elements

Ava Corley | Accelerating into ‘24

​

Follow Ava on Instagram

Photos by Fifteen BMX | Steve Diamond Elements

​Even if you were to ignore her phenomenal bike skills and blistering acceleration, it’s easy to be impressed by the USA’s Ava Corley. Her general demeanour is kind of intoxicating, always smiling, always happy … and always humble. Everything is ‘we’ did this, ‘we’ achieved that … it never, or rarely, seems to be the singular ‘I’. Weirdly, this may just be what impresses us the most, her ability to recognise, at such a young age, that the heights of BMX cannot be scaled alone.

Despite still being a Jr. Elite, she’s still only 17-years-old, Ava’s latest escapade in the sport has been dipping her toe into the Pro scene at home in the US. She just lined up, in Phoenix, with the likes of Alise Willoughby and Lauren Reynolds and looked like she belonged … ‘my moving up to the pro class was simply to make me better, racing against the best will push me, and help me get an idea of how much progress we need to make. We have a lot to learn in the next five years’, Ava told us. When pushed on what that five-year plan is, she was not exactly laying it all out on the table, but you can imagine … ‘We’re working hard, I’ll leave the future as a surprise, but I can say, giving a proud American a home crowd is going to be a good watch … WE have big plans.’

It seems like Ava has already been in the BMX spotlight for a long time, but it was only a short time ago when we first took notice of her, and we assume it was the same for most who are not ensconced in the US national scene. It was 2022, when she turned up in France, for the UCI BMX World Championships and blitzed her way all the way to the ’16 Girls’ W1 plate, despite it being a last-minute decision to travel. ‘Nantes was actually my first time overseas, I had only participated in one Worlds prior to that, Rock Hill 2017, at the young age of 11 and earned myself a W7 plate that year. Coming into Nantes in 2022 I had just come off a major high in the USA BMX series, earning my first of two National #1 titles, and I hadn’t even considered attending Worlds after that. A few months go by after this high and I found myself hungry for something to work towards. At the very beginning of May I decided I wanted to go to Worlds to fulfil my last year in the Challenge category. Mind you, this was two months prior to the event, I had an expired passport and hadn’t even qualified for the worlds! I was able to expedite my documentation to leave the country and I petitioned to be able to participate, and USA BMX was ecstatic that I wanted to go. The preparation was like no other, I was driven and content with this being my last shot at a World title in Challenge. We worked, not knowing or caring, how we compared to the other riders because simply no one wanted this more than me. Worlds race day is long, seven laps is what I completed that day and knowing the importance to pace myself mentally was a big factor, the atmosphere was as I expected, very ecstatic and adrenaline filled, I won all my heats, 8th, quarter and semi. We always say that once you make it to the final, the rest is the fun part, nothing to be nervous for, it’s all or nothing. I executed my day close to perfectly and lived up to my vision of W1.’

Ava’s first Worlds overseas would be her last in the Challenge classes. In 2023 she made the jump to the Jr. Elite level and turned her gaze to the UCI BMX Racing World Cup series, where she would compete in the U23 class, and the Glasgow Worlds in Junior.

For a first UCI World Cup outing Papendal is probably the one you’d want to experience, and Ava made it all the way to the final in the U23 Class, on both days, finishing 6th and 7th. Everyone took notice, ‘I’m pretty sure I shocked everyone with my performance, including myself, I won laps’ she said.

With some top-level experience acquired in the Netherlands, Team Ava returned to the US and back into expert class racing, ‘It was really tough to go from racing the highest intensity racing with so much adrenaline, to racing the fairly small 17-20 Expert Girls’ class in the US. To say I was excited to go pro in 2024 would be an understatement.’

It wouldn’t be long before her adrenaline would spike again. She arrived in Glasgow, for only her second World Championships outside of the US … but the preparation for the biggest race of the year had not gone smoothly. ‘I had set an expectation of a podium for Glasgow’, Ava told us, ‘even though the goal is always to win. The preparation was anything but easy, I had to overcome a lot of adversity that I haven’t really talked about. I had a crash in training, that took a toll on my preparation, and I just went into the weekend wanting to gain experience if anything’.  The crash Ava was referring to was at her home track, Bellflower BMX. It wasn’t necessarily that bad, but it certainly wasn’t ideal! ‘I sprained my thumb/wrist and wasn’t able to train since I couldn’t hold onto my handlebars, but a few days later I went to Tulsa for our worlds prep camp. Our team and sports med found a taping technique, by the end of our camp, that made it possible for me to ride, and with time it started to feel better going into race day.’

One of the youngest in the class, Ava eventually found herself in lane two of the World Championship final in Glasgow, beside the favourite, Veronika Stūriška. A disastrous gate left Ava in dead last at the bottom of the hill, but pure determination put her on the podium, W3! ‘My initial thought after crossing the finish line in 3rd was ecstatic, that I had met my expectations, given having a close call and coming from basically last on the first straight. But of course, after soaking it all in I wanted more, but I gave it my all, and that’s all I could’ve done’.

After Glasgow, it was back to the UCI World Cup series and U23 for the Jr. W3. In Sarrians, France it was another impressive outing, and a 5th in the final. ‘I couldn’t do it when it counted’, Ava was referring to the World Cup finals, ‘and it was tough to pinpoint what I was missing!’ Between France and Argentina, Team Ava had it figured out. Out of four rounds in South America, Ava took three, … three! Ava dominated. ‘A simple mentality swap was all I needed, that first win in Santiago Del Estero was all that I needed to confirm that I was capable.’  To our eyes it was her mid first straight acceleration that was the difference … it was blisteringly quick. ‘My acceleration and leg speed has always been my strong suit, all I needed was an open track to really let all my skills out of the box and open up. It felt like a long time coming but I’m glad I finished off the season strong and really got to show a smidge of what I’m capable of’.

In what was, by any one’s standards, an amazing first year in the Championship classes, it’s hard to comprehend that it may have all come crashing down before it began … ‘To think that the beginning of 2023 I debated stopping BMX because of a mental block of the 8m hill felt surreal. I had to find confidence in myself, in my abilities, and to be honest just step up my game all around. I had to figure it out fast since I had been planning on going to Papendal for a long time. What really helped me was that USA Cycling hosted a Talent ID camp for the up and coming and junior development riders to get an opportunity to ride Tulsa and get 8m experience. Deciding to attend was the best decision I could have made, and for any up-and-coming juniors that ask me how I got here I would tell them to go to the Talent ID camp. At that camp I got to know Jamie, USA Cycling Director, and German, National Team Coach, and learned everything about the UCI, USA Cycling and doping, and of course gained confidence on the 8m. I got to share my story and my dreams with Jamie and German and by the end of the camp I was invited to an elite camp just a short week later. Tulsa became a second home this past year, we made lots of progress and learned a lot,’ … ‘I would have nothing if USA Cycling didn’t continue to believe in me and push me to be better, I have nothing but gratitude towards our amazing team.’ 

Ava, and Team USA, have just landed in the southern hemisphere for the opening four rounds of the 2024 UCI BMX Racing World Cup, and she is ready to continue where she left off in 2023. ‘I have truly hit the off season like no other, I am one motivated son of a gun and I’ve been envisioning this year for as long as I can remember, I have no doubt that I will be ready. I’ve never been down under; I’m looking forward to checking some more countries off the list and of course excited for some hot weather.’

As well as the World Cup title, Ava will be eyeing that Jr. W1 title in Rock Hill … ‘Indeed! It’s a big year for the Americans, we hope everyone is as excited as we are’. … but it will be her last in the Jr. class even though she would still being eligible in ’25. Then there is also that little race to consider, right on her doorstep, LA 2028 … ‘I won’t be a Junior in 2025, I plan to level up as I need to progress every year, and be in the best shape of my life going into the 2028 Olympics, and we’re not just aiming to participate in the ‘28 games, we have bigger plans …’

Bigger plans? If Team Ava can deliver on the potential, nothing would surprise us … anything, and everything is possible!

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