Growing up, Brooke Crain was always the smallest person at school and on the track. Her parents taught her that practice always beats talent, taking this advice to heart, Brooke spent countless hours on her bike and used her size as an advantage to become one of the fastest and most well-respected BMX racers in the world.
Like most young riders, BMX started for California-native Brooke Crain as a family affair. When she was six years old, Crain’s father bought her a bike so that she could ride along with her brother who had already caught the BMX bug. Though initially resistant, she jumped on that bike and was hooked. By age 15, Crain was competing at the professional level. She joined USA Cycling in 2009 and then competed in her first Olympics at age 19 in 2012 in London, finishing 8th. She then competed again in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, coming in with a 4th place finish.