Mongoose race pro Cam Wood went toe-to-toe with the fastest BMXers on the planet at the USA BMX Winter National in Phoenix this past Saturday – and he managed to capture his first win as a professional! We caught up with the 19-year-old phenom after his big day!
Congrats on the win! What was your headspace coming into the Winter Nationals?
CAM WOOD: "The Winter Nationals is one of my favorite events of the year. Very nice to sleep in my own bed and open up a new season at a track I spend a lot of time on. I was confident in my process and focused on hitting all of my marks. There’s nothing better than leaving it all out on the track and knowing you got the best out of yourself."
Was your training different because of COVID?
CW: Not really. I was able to do a lot of hands on training with my coach in Chula Vista with all the down time. Sam (Willoughby) and Alise (Post/Willoughby) are next level and it's always such a good environment to be around.
The first day did not go at all like you planned. How did you reset for day 2?
CW: Although ending up on the ground is never what you want, I was thankful to walk with only scrapes and compete the next day. I channeled my focus into the next day and knew I’d have another opportunity... that’s the beautiful thing about racing.
How was the energy at the Winter Nationals?
CW: Black Mountain is always a great atmosphere. With it being my local track, there was a lot of locals who wanted to see me put the goose on top! It was pretty noisy in the final on Saturday.
Coming off this win will you be doing anything different to prepare for the next race?
CW: Not really, just identify weaknesses and find areas to improve on. Still have room to grow and goals to strive for. I have the best support system and I’m excited to keep on moving forward.
