In the run-up to the World Championships, Nikita Ducarroz had been diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus, but in Abu Dhabi the BMX freestyle specialist was able to show her potential. As in the previous year, the Olympic medalist finished second place. The Swiss American explains in the interview what the medal means to her and talks about her next big goal. Nikita Ducarroz won the silver medal at the BMX Freestyle World Championships held as part of the Urban Cycling Championships in Abu Dhabi. After an unsuccessful first run, the 26-year-old from Geneva living in North Carolina advanced to second place thanks to an excellent performance in her second run. As at last year’s World Championship in Montpellier, the Olympic bronze medalist from Tokyo was beaten only by Hannah Roberts from the USA. Olympic champion Charlotte Worthington (GBR) finished the competition in fifth place.
Nikita Ducarroz will compete in the UCI BMX Freestyle World Championships next week in Abu Dhabi (UAE). While the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist is considered a medal hope, her story of mental health gives hope to others. The daughter of a Swiss father and an American mother, Ducarroz enjoyed the benefits of dual citizenship and grew up in Northern California while spending summers with her grandparents in Geneva, Switzerland.
At the age of thirteen, Ducarroz began suffering from severe anxiety attacks, which led her to isolation within her own home.
"BMX helped me to overcome my fears"
It wasn't until she found a BMX video on YouTube that she began to break free from the isolation she felt. At first, she saved up for a bike and practiced in her driveway. Day by day, trick by trick, her love for the sport grew. Eventually, the sport led her to do something that scared her to death: she took the plunge and went to ride at her neighborhood skate park. By doing this, she took a step toward overcoming her anxiety and began her BMX career.
Nikita continued to work hard and build her skills. It wasn't long before she won competitions - first at
Sport has a lot of good things that it brings to the world. It’s not just how it brings entertainment to millions of people around the world, but how it also offers other benefits. It can help to keep people healthy, it can be an escape from a poor lifestyle and it can even save lives, in some ways. We’ve taken a close look at some professional athletes who have had their lives saved through sport.
Nikita Ducarroz
This is someone who literally credits BMX with saving her life. Nikita Ducarroz has openly stated that at the very least, if it wasn’t for BMXing, she wouldn’t be happy with the life she was leading. Cursed with crippling anxiety, Ducarroz wasn’t even able to leave the house. You wouldn’t believe it from her performances in BMX tournaments, but there was a time when Nikita Ducarroz genuinely felt that her anxiety was destined to keep her indoors forever.
It wasn’t until she saw a video on YouTube of someone riding a BMX that she found the strength to overcome her anxiety attacks. Although it wasn’t an overnight solution, she started to make strides with her own issues. Her starting point was to save up for a bike and begin practicing tricks outside her home. As she got more skilled and comfortable controlling her bike, she knew that she would have to take some additional steps if she wanted to go to the next level.
Nikita Ducarroz, reigning European BMX Freestyle Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist, is the latest addition to Riding Culture’s team of high-profile athletes. The 25-year-old BMX park rider joins top riders like FMB Slopestyle World Tour rider Lucas Huppert and world-class skateboarder Jonny Giger on the team of the Swiss brand of ultra-durable jeans and apparel for mountain biking, cycling, skateboarding and BMX. Born in Nice, France, to an American mother and a Swiss father, Nikita grew up between Geneva and California. Aged 14, Nikita discovered BMX through videos and edits on YouTube and was instantly hooked. It didn’t take her long to progress from learning tricks to entering BMX Freestyle competitions. Following several successful seasons with a number of podium
It might have been delayed by a year, but Tokyo 2020 was worth the wait for Swiss Freestyle BMX star Nikita Ducarroz who took a stunning bronze medal. She followed that up by taking the European Championship title in Moscow in November and now finishes the year with RASOULUTION, her new management. Signing with the Munich based sports marketing agency, which has a long history in managing cyclists, was a logical step for North Carolina based Nikita, who has followed the agency and its riders for some time.
About joining the agency, Nikita said: “I’m so stoked to join RASOULUTION for 2022 and beyond! I’ve been following them for many years so it’s very exciting that this amazing crew now has my back.
Name: Nikita Ducarroz
Age: 24
Hometown: Glen Ellen, CA
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Red Bull, Mongoose Bikes, Tioga, Schweitzer Sporthilfe, Team Geneve, Fonds du Sport Geneve.
---The FAT favorites list---
-Spot to ride: Area51 Eindhoven
Nikita talks Olympics, COVID tests, joining Red Bull, goals, Kevin Peraza, and much more.
Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole BMX Park Women's 3rd Place | Nikita Ducarroz by FISE
We've been waiting...the E-FISE BMX Park Women’s podium...
Swiss-American rider Nikita Ducarroz has long been a familiar face on top of the podium at the World’s biggest BMX contests. She’s also no stranger to the challenges faced by every pro rider; whether it’s filming videos, attending press events, constant travel or simply holding it down as a role model to younger riders, Nikita has always gone above and beyond.
My 2017. The BMX girls had a killer year in 2017. Nikita Ducarroz is one of the more professional riders with a strong list of sponsors backing her up. Although Nikita lives in the USA and grew up there, she has chosen to represent Switzerland on her way to the qualifying process for the first Olympic Games that BMX Park is a part of. Read below what Nikita has to say about 2017.
Name: Nikita Ducarroz
Hometown: Glen Ellen, California
Sponsors: Mongoose, Joby, G-Form, Extreme, Black&Decker
Do you remember the first BMX event you went to this year and how did it go?
Nikita Ducarroz: First event was FISE Montpellier. It was my first big overseas event and actually the only stop this year where I stomped my run start to finish with the 540. There were so many amazing riders there that when I made podium, it was a huge accomplishment!
How many weekends/days were you away from home and at a BMX jam/contest or on tour?
Nikita Ducarroz: It felt like I was never home this year between BMX and family trips, but it was only about 11 weekends out of the year that I was at BMX contests. About 80 days.
What was the best event you went to this year that gets your vote?
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.