PEORIA, Ill. – Drive and determination the likes of which she’s never seen before.
That’s how Central Illinoisan Amanda Sullivan describes her daughter Malia Alvarez — already a competitor in the world of BMX biking.
But, as it turns out, like mother, like daughter.
“My first race was in France at nine years old. Her first race was in France at nine years old,” said Sullivan, to 25 News.
Sullivan says her daughter saw articles about her competing at that age, and decided she wanted to do it.
Alvarez says she was heartbroken at placing fifth in the world BMX competition after making a mistake in one of the turns. But, she says she’s keeping on, going almost right to Wisconsin to compete again.
“It’s a self-driven sport,” said Sullivan. “It’s as fast as you can go, from starting gate to finish line, over obstacles. Everything you put in, you get out of it.”
Alvarez is eligible for the same competition in Scotland next year.
