She is determined. She is strong. And she is known as the “Pink and Black Attack.”

Her name is Ariel Kelly and together with her great-grandfather, the 9-year-old BMX racer is training to represent Canada at the 2024 UCI BMX Racing World Championships this spring.

She lives in Dana, Saskatchewan, a western province of Canada, and the family’s small town consists of about 16 residents, said her great-grandfather and BMX coach Lowell Ruda.

To qualify for the world championships this spring and represent Canada, Kelly must perform well at the national event held in Quebec last July, Ruda said.

Ruda added that his daughter, Kelly’s grandmother, competed in races in the late 1980s and was the No. 1 girl in Canada for a time, he said.

Kelly, his current future champion, started racing in 2020. That’s when she learned to ride and then Ruda took her to a race.

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“Pink-black attack”

“I was fascinated from the first sight,” Kelly said Wednesday afternoon, smiling and with pink strands of hair in her face.

Her favorite bike is a pink and black one made of carbon fiber to keep the weight down, her great-grandfather said.

“Everything about their racing is pink and black,” he said. “Their bike is pink and black. Their outfit is pink and black. Their helmet is pink and black and they call it the ‘Pink and Black Attack.'”

The weather is an important factor in the training of the 9-year-old BMX prodigy, says the great-grandfather

When it comes to training, Kelly and her great-grandfather face quite a task, especially since Saskatchewan winters can be harsh.

In winter there is usually 1.5 to 1.8 meters of snow there, so she cannot ride her bike outside.

Kelly has rollers that her bike rests on so it stays stationary so she can build strength and keep her legs moving during the winter, Ruda said. She rides on rollers three times a week.

“It’s not a real replacement for riding, but it’s the best we have,” Ruda said.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays she does core strengthening exercises such as sit-ups, stretches and squats.

Ruda said once a month they drive to Edmonton, about six hours away, where they have an indoor training facility. There she trains with an Olympic-level BMX racer from Canada.

When asked, the 9-year-old said that she prefers racing outdoors.

“Sometimes I feel really hot inside,” she said. “It’s very sunny, windy and cool outside.”

Kelly said she loves BMX racing because everyone is so nice.

In fact, one of her best friends, Jamie, is a BMX rider. Jamie lives in Edmonton and her family hosted them as they traveled from Saskatchewan to Edmonton to train and race.

“She’s probably Ariel’s biggest competitor,” her great-grandfather told USA TODAY Wednesday afternoon.

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Ruda and Kelly spend a lot of time traveling for training and racing, they said.

“It’s just the two of us,” Kelly said, later calling her great-grandfather “very nice.”

“He has a great personality” and he is “cool,” she said.

He said his great-granddaughter is a good child and very positive. She loves making friends and learning.

“It’s just a real joy to be around them,” said Ruda, who has four children and nine grandchildren.

Young BMX rider raises money to participate in more races

Kelly and Ruda are currently raising money for their BMX careers. She is making bracelets, keychains and more to sell and they are also participating in a bottle drive.

The money will help her compete in more races, travel and get better at what she does, Ruda said.

“Everything is far from the centre of Saskatchewan,” he said.

Stay up to date with Kelly and her great-grandfather at www.tinyurl.com/409Racing.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Great-grandfather paves way for 9-year-old BMX champion Ariel Kelly