EVEN with a broken thumb, Beerwah State High School student Kameli Jones continues to be a BMX trail blazer and was just picked into the top 30 racers for the Australian Commonwealth team.
Kameli was making waves in the BMX scene late last year, when she qualified to compete in the International BMX Championships this year.
However, since breaking her thumb earlier this year, she wasn’t able to compete nor has she been able to race and train.
She faces another seven weeks on the sideline until she can get back on the track.
“I was racing in Gladstone at the start of April and I was actually winning the race but it was raining and I just slid out in the rain and someone ran over the top of me,” she said.
“I broke my thumb and I had to get surgery on it four weeks after I crashed, because I tore ligaments and broke the bone, I snapped the ligament and the ligament tore a piece of bone off.”
But Kameli isn’t going away that easily, and has been over the moon since she discovered she could be competing in the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Australia.
“My coach told me, he is the Queensland state team coach and I was just mind blown, and it’ll be the first year that BMX is in the Commonwealth Games as well,” she said.
“The support has been really good, I think my mum has realised a lot more how far I can really go in this sport she’s never really realised how much potential I have.
“I feel like my coach has always known that though, even when there’s something that I don’t think I can do he has pushed me a lot further.”
Her accolades are endless despite her recent injury, and is aiming high after she hopefully competes at the Commonwealth Games.
“I’ve been chosen for the Queensland academy team, so they help with training camps all over the state, so I’ve had a lot more support this year, even through injury and stuff,” she said.
“My next goal after the Commonwealth Games my next goal will be to make it to the Olympic Games.”
Kameli’s next BMX event she is able to attend is the state championships, and although she won’t have as much time to prepare as she usually would, she is ready to race again.
“My next race when I come back from injury will be the state championships which will be held in Gympie this year, I won’t have much of a training lead up as usual…” she said.
“But I am hoping to do well and use it as a comeback race to show everyone I’m not gone forever, I’m still here.”