Charmaine Stuart is the first Canadian rider to join the California-based BMX bike racing team -- Tuff Gurlz -- but don't let the name fool you.
She's now part of an all-girl gang and she knows she's tough to beat on the track, but she's not going to beat you up if cut her off on a corner.
"I'm just really proud to be on the team," said Charmaine. "I like the name, it shows other people that you're tough. I always race hard and when I crash I always get back up."
The eight-year-old Supertrak BMX Club racer was hoping her Tuff Gurlz uniform and number plate would arrive in the mail before she hits the road today for the Canadian Grand National races in Chilliwack. The three-day event starts Friday.
Stuart's mom Shaylene found out about Tuff Gurlz from the group's Facebook page. Team officials made a few online inquiries asking about Charmaine's riding experience, her national standing (she was ranked 77th in Canada last year) and her level of sportsmanship (it's off the charts) and determined she was a worthy of an invitation to join the team.
"They asked her to be the first Canadian girl to ride for them, I think they have about 100 riders in the U.S.," said Shaylene Stuart.
"We've been into BMXing for four years and we spend a lot of time [online] looking at different tracks and looking for parts and we came across this one promoting girls in BMX racing. They get a racing jersey, pants and helmet and discounts at all the online stores. They get to represent girls and try to make the sport grow for girls."
The local Supertrak club has quite just nine female riders in the competitive age-class divisions and nine female half-trackers out of a membership of 130 riders. Shaylene was asked by Tuff Gurlz to take on the duty as Canadian team manager and she's hoping to recruit a few more girls from other clubs attending the races in Chilliwack this weekend.
"Hopefully we'll find more girls with good sportsmanship and a positive outlook on it because that's really what they promote," said Shaylene. "You don't have to be an A-line top perfect rider."
The Stuart family is considering a trip the the U.S. next year to race at several American tracks, where Charmaine could meet some of her Tuff Gurlz teammates.
"What I would like about that is there would probably be a lot of girls," said Charmaine, a Grade 4 student at Buckhorn elementary school.
"There's usually a full gate [in Chilliwack] and that makes it harder to ride. It's really fun. My goal is to bring home a big trophy."
Charmaine has been near the top of her class ever since she joined the club in 2011, after watching her older brother Clay race. The family now has three racers in the club with nine-year-old Clay and seven-year-old Daylan joining Charmaine on the track. Eleven-year-old Montana, Charmaine's big sister, doesn't race but she biggest cheerleader supporting her siblings.
Charmaine, who races in the eight-year-old novice boys class and regularly posts podium finishes and is five wins away from moving up to the intermediate class. She was the Supertrak club's top half-tracker in her rookie season in 2011, was female rider of the year in 2012, and was runner-up for the top female rider last year.
She and 12-year-old Mackenzie Crerar of Prince George are currently fighting it out for the club's top female rider award. Crerar has 650 points for the season while Mackenzie has 630.
A 30-family contingent from Prince George is heading to the Grand National finals.
"It's going to be three days of hard busy racing," said Shaylene. "Here we have 18 motos [on a typical race day]. Down there, there's like 150 motos. This will wrap up all the points and all the final standings for the year."
