At the Lone Star USA BMX Nationals in Houston, Texas, Squamish's Teigen Pascual faced the eight-metre hill for the first time in a competition.Â
She won the race, much to her surprise. Â
"It was my first race on that hill," she said. "I was going in like, 'Just stay off the ground.' I had no expectations for that weekend. That was a bit of a surprise."Â Â
Pascual was training on the same track with Team Canada ahead of the March 6 to 8 weekend competition, so had an opportunity to practise. The track is the same one that will host the world championship this year. Â
There were 11 other competitors in her category for the March 6 to 8 events, including riders from Canada, the U.S., Japan, Costa Rica and Ecuador. Â
"It's a new category for me. The next step would be pro, so elite," Pascual said after the race. Â
For her next races, Pascual said she'll be working on her skills, including jumping. Â
"This weekend was really good for seeing where I'm at with that, and just seeing how I've been improving."Â Â
Reflecting on her latest races and good result, she's also working on building her confidence. Â
"I knew that I could, I just didn't know if I would," she said. Â
While she was slated to compete in Europe next month, many upcoming BMX races are being postponed due to the coronavirus, COVID-19. Then there's the national competitions and World Cup. At this point, she's not sure what her next race will be. Â
"It's kind of a waiting game," she said.Â