Fort Mill BMX rider, 12, participating in World Championships

For most 12-year-olds, riding a bike is a day of fun and not work. But for Philip Ford, it’s a little of both.

Ford, a Fort Mill resident and BMX rider who will enter the seventh grade at Banks Trail Middle School, will participate in the 2015 BMX World Championships in Belgium July 21-25.

Ford qualified for the World Championships by finishing seventh at an event in Nashville in May.

Ford has been competing since he was 8 years old. He got his start after his dad read an article about the sport. His father then took Ford to Hornets’ Nest Park in Charlotte, to see what BMX racing was like.

“I didn’t know what he was talking about at first,” Ford said about the sport. “Then it grew on me.”

Ford will compete against 141 riders from around the world in his 12-year-old age classification. He hopes to be one of the eight finalists.

Ford said he likes the competition, but he enjoys other aspects of the sport just as much.

“Every time I go to a national event, I meet new people and new riders,” he said.

The BMX season runs January through November and keeps Ford in training year round.

Ford has participated in several national events across the country and has quickly moved up the BMX ranks, from intermediate to expert rider.

One thing holding him back from moving up to a pro level rider is age. He can’t turn pro until he’s at least 18.

Ford trains six days a week between an hour and a half to two hours on the track, not to mention his conditioning in the gym. The sport does come with some bumps and bruises. He broke his arm once.

“We got him in the best protective gear we can buy,” said his mother, Vicki Ford. “But its nerve-wracking as a parent.”

Mike King, BMX supervisor for the city of Rock Hill at the Novant Health BMX Supercross Track at Riverwalk, said Ford is on his way to being something special. King should know talent, being a member of the BMX Hall of Fame.

“He is one of the best 12-year-olds in the state,” King said. “When you are 12 and have been racing as long as he has, you develop several skills. That kind of experience is priceless. He is pretty gifted. He is the real deal. He has a lot of potential.”

This story was originally published July 20, 2015 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Fort Mill BMX rider, 12, participating in World Championships."