Luke Madill Awarded BMXA Life Membership

At the BMX Australia Annual General Meeting held in November, BMXA added another recipient to the existing list of 9 BMX Australia Life Members.

Life Membership is an acknowledgement of commitment to the sport, dedication of service and contributing back to the sport for the overall betterment, all of which usually spans numerous years.

BMXA President Barry Knight moved a motion at the AGM that Life Membership be awarded to Luke Madill. That motion was agreed to and carried by all state representatives granting Luke the first active rider to be given the honour from the governing body of BMX in Australia.

Growing up in the Western Sydney suburb of Cranebrook, Luke who is 31, has been involved in the sport since he was 3 years old.

Introduced to BMX through his three older brothers competing after riding on a friends track in their back yard, Madill said once he could ride without training wheels he got into racing and never looked back.

“I only knew clubs gave these sort of things (Life Membership) to long term riders and people who had been involved in the club for a long time,” Madill said of the surprise being named Life Member by BMX Australia.

“To be recognised by BMXA and to be a part of it is definitely huge.”

“I got a call from Andy (Mellish), actually I had a few missed calls from Andy on my phone and I thought I was in trouble for a while. I gave him a call back and he told me the news. I was shocked; it was a definite honour.”

Madill balances his time between riding and coaching which is an avenue he is keen to pursue when he finishes riding.

“Coaching is hard, there are so many different elements to it and I believe it’s a difficult sport to coach.”

“I’m doing a lot (of coaching) now but I’d like to do more. I seem to get stuck between racing and coaching at the moment where they overlap which can get frustrating.

“Next year I’m going to have to focus on racing a bit more but when I step back from the racing scene I’d love to continue in a coaching role of some sort.

On his own coaching, Madill rates his father as one of the best.

“Dad is still one of the best coaches around as far as knowing my strengths and weaknesses… as much as I don’t want to hear it some times,” he said laughing.

In terms of highlights in the sport and a career that has seen him riding now for some 27 years Luke points out there has been many.

Selected to represent Australia at the inaugural BMX Olympic event in Beijing along with Jared Graves and Kamakazi, Luke said it has been one of the biggest things to happen in his career.

“It was one of the biggest lows as well. The performance I had on the day wasn’t great at all.”

“I left with mixed emotions, but just to be part of the Olympics is something I’ll never forget.

He rates the swag of wins at State and National Championships as equally important but the one that stands out for him is his first win as an elite rider in 1999.

“That was the first time as an elite rider, the first time in the pro class and I guess growing up, again this was before the Olympics, it was the biggest thing you could achieve in Australia.”

“To do that at such a young age was a massive achievement and highlight.

BMXA congratulates Luke Madill on being awarded Life Membership of the national body.

BMX Australia Life Members:

Ross Fisher

Abe Schnieder

Julie Hays

Annie Haddon

Cary Jennings

Alan Youdell

Graham Arnold

Ray Stanley

Robyn Robinson

Luke Madill