“Living the dream” is a term I usually find myself using tongue-in-cheek, very few Aussie BMXer’s get to live out their dream racing as a BMX pro in the prestigious US circuit. Sure we could name a few like Anthony Waye, Wade Boots, John Smart, Travis Turresson, Daniel Sprague, Natarsha Williams, Warwick Stevenson, Khalen Young, Sam Willoughby, Caroline Buchanan, Lauren Reynolds, Anthony Dean and I’m sure there’s some I’ve missed.

It’s unthought of that an amateur rider might be given the same opportunity, but that’s exactly what’s happened for Aussie Hayden Fletcher. Hayden and father Paul set off on an adventure of a life time to race across the US, competing on the national circuit for a few weeks. It’s not something that’s just happened for Hayden, he’s worked hard, trained hard, saved hard, traveled for hours to get to the nearest track, add to that great lineage.

Hayden Fletcher leading the Australia BMX Championships 16 Boys final earlier this year

Hayden’s results on this USA Tour are extremely impressive

• 2nd Derby City  National Friday 15 Expert
• 1st Derby City  National Saturday 15 Expert
• 1st Derby City  National Sunday 15 Expert
• 2nd Badger State National Saturday 15 Expert
• 4th Badger State National Sunday 15 Expert
• 1st California State Championships 15 Expert
• 1st Hall of Fame National Saturday 15 Expert
• 2nd Hall of Fame National Sunday 15 Expert

But it’s the lead up to the tour that is a real eye opener.

Let’s head back to the 80’s BMX was booming all over the world, it was just simply everywhere, the hay day of the sport some might say. A young Paul Fletcher was making waves in the pro class and spent some time in the US himself as a teenager, hanging out with some true legends of the sport.

Hayden Fletcher with new SSquared/Answer team mate Tyler Whitfield

Time goes by and Fletch and his three sons start hitting the race track. Traveling nearly 2 hours to the closest race tack week in week out.

Hayden was always a talented and determined racer, but nothing seemed to boost his confidence more that racing in the money classes, he quickly found his feet in A pro and turned AA in no time, making it sound a whole lot easier than what it really is.

I’ve touched on this a couple of time but Hayden doesn’t have a local race track, despite years of frustration for Paul red tape just keeps getting in the way. I haven’t mentioned that Hayden has no personal coach, and no one to train with locally, normally the odds would be stacked against him, but just like Cru Jones he prevailed.

Paul and Hayden had planned a US tour for many years both have been very excited in the lead up, Paul would not only travel with Hayden to see him fulfill his dreams but get to catch up with old friends from his own trip some 33 years prior. I don’t think either of them ever expected to sign to a major USA factory team.

It’s amazing to see what hard work and determination can result in. Just months ago Hayden was washing dishes to help pay for his trip he even won a cool $1,000 in a pump track race that was probably more MTB oriented but he took his BMX bike with him and killed it.

Now Hayden contemplates finishing out the USABMX national series with a real chance to win NAG 1 and a massive future on a star studded team, SSquared/Answer, joining the likes of Olympian Lauren Reynolds and super freak Tyler Whitfield.

We’d like to congratulate Hayden and wish him well for the future.