Ontario Cycling has recently appointed Britney Hovencamp as the new Provincial BMX Development Coach. Britney brings an impressive racing career into her new coaching role with the goal of getting more Ontario riders representing Canada at the highest level.
Hovencamp has been involved in BMX for over ten years, starting out as a competitive rider before transitioning to coaching. “I first picked up BMX racing when I was 11. However, I first went to the Kingston BMX track when I was ten as my younger sibling was going to try it at the open house. I started by simply sitting on the grandstands watching racing but quickly decided that I wanted to be racing as well.” says Hovencamp. As a rider, she competed at the national and international levels, earning several podium finishes – the most significant success was at the world championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she secured a W6. Her passion for the sport and desire to give back led her to coach, where she quickly found success.
As a coach, Hovencamp has worked with athletes of all ages and abilities, from ladies’ clinics and 1:1 coaching sessions, from beginners to elite riders. Her pathway into coaching started while still riding Canada Cups. Often other riders came up to ask for feedback, which she was always happy to give them. Soon KBMX would start having more structured practices with some older riders helping out during the novice/intermediate practice. “It made me realize how much I enjoyed coaching and watching others succeed. My happy place is being a part of the cycling community, working with athletes, and simply being in a sports environment. Thus, besides coaching, I am also in my 3rd year of a Bachelor of Health Science in Athletic Therapy degree.”
In her new role as Provincial BMX Development Coach, Hovencamp will be looking to build Ontario’s talent pool through “Rising Stars” camps, coach weekly sessions out of the Pan Am BMX Track, and lead Team Ontario initatives including a project to Rock Hill, NC at the end of March and Canadian Championships in July. . “I am thrilled to take on this new role as BMX Provincial BMX Development Coach for Ontario Cycling,” says Hovencamp. “BMX has been a big part of my life for many years, and I am excited to have the opportunity to give back to the sport that has given me so much. I aim to develop a strong, supportive community of BMX riders in Ontario and help athletes achieve their full potential.” Her biggest goal within the next three years is to take a more holistic approach to coaching to see athletes achieve their goals.
Britney is taking over the Provincial Coach role from Brendan Arnold who held the position for the past 8 years. This is a true “passing the torch” situation as Brendan was Britney’s coach as she moved through the Rising Stars program into the High Performance program and now will take over the leadership role in supporting upcoming BMX athletes. We thank Brendan Arnold for all the years of work building the program to what it is today and are excited to see where Britney will take the program in the years to come.