Sliding Doors With Sierra Roth

May Long Weekend

Here in Alberta, it never seems to fail for us that we get rain and snow during the May long weekend. I don’t recall many May long weekends during my childhood where it was actually nice. This year, I thought I was fortunate enough to be spending it in BEAUTIFUL British Columbia, but I was wrong. Apparently it also likes to snow and rain in certain places in BC. At Whispering Pines Raceway in Kamloops, specifically, it decided to rain the entire time we were out there Saturday morning for our CDNWMX Riding School. Well, at least until we started packing up. Then it was sunny and beautiful, like beautiful British Columbia should be. Although the weather wasn’t in our favour, our school was successful. We had six girls who were willing to brave the weather and learn as much as they could in four and a half hours. Our instructors, Sara King and Rachel Springman, were also willing to brave the cold and I couldn’t thank them enough. We have some young up and comers that will experience the nationals this year and I couldn’t be more excited for them. I think the future is bright for the younger generations in our sport, especially with the help of the CDNWMX riding schools.

I would like to take the time to introduce a wild card to our series that will be racing the entire series. I have known of the Whiteside family for a while as they are a passionate motocross family from Alberta, so having Tamala Whiteside a part of the series this year is extremely exciting.

SR: Hey, can you tell the world who you are, how long have you have been racing, and how you got into the sport?

My name is Tamala Whiteside, I am 20-years-old and I am from Black Diamond, Alberta. I have been racing dirt bikes for 8 years. I got into racing when I was 8-years-old. My Dad was the one to first introduce me to the sport. From the very beginning racing has always been a family sport. Everyone in my family rides! We are helping and motivating each other, always supporting one another. The main thing is to always have fun; you have to enjoy what you are doing whether it is on or off the track.

SR: For those who don’t know you, can you tell them how your season in 2015 went?

For the 2015 race season I raced the Spring and Fall Wild Rose Super Series in Calgary and the Calgary Women’s National race in June. For the Wild Rose Super Series, I ended up placing 2nd in both Spring and Fall rounds in the Ladies class. During the National Race I finished 12th first moto and 32nd my second moto for a 16th overall for the day. I was extremely happy with my overall results due to the little time I was on the bike that year.

SR: What have you been up to since the summer and what are the plans for the rest of this year?

I am currently enrolled in the practical nursing program at Bow Valley College and have just completed my first semester. While attending school, I was working part time as a Lifeguard in Calgary. I have dedicated more time to my moto season this year. This includes training in the gym and going to the track more during the week. I am currently racing the Wild Rose Super Spring Series once again and plan on racing all four of the National rounds. For the summer, I plan on working two jobs to save more money for school. I also will be trying to enjoy the summer this year. Then I will be racing the Fall Super Series at Wild Rose and I will be returning to school as a full time student.

SR: Why did you decide to ride the CDNWMX Series this year? What is the goal with attending all four rounds?

Dirt biking was something that I always loved. When I was younger I raced one National race in Calgary on an 85cc and loved it. However, when you are younger other sports tend to get in the way. I was involved in all school sports when I was in junior high. When high school came I made the decision to sell my dirt bike to play hockey. At the time it was a great decision. I ended up receiving a scholarship and played at a college level for the SAIT Trojans Female Hockey Team. After perusing hockey, I was tempted to get back on the bike! After a three year break I was extremely rusty. My first season back was last year so I was very happy with how well my season went! Now with hockey out of the way I am able to fully commit myself this year. This will be my first time attending the entire CDNWMX series. My goals for the series are to finish top ten and to have lots of fun! This will be an amazing experience and I am extremely fortunate that I am able to race all four rounds this year.

SR: Do you have any life plans/goals you want to achieve in the next few years?

My life plans/goals for the next few years are to complete school and work for a while, then to further my education and become a Registered Nurse. I would also like to attend the entire CDNWMX for a couple more years, hopefully being able to achieve a National number!

SR: If you could give a new girl advice who is starting up in the racing world, what would it be?

You are never too late. Put in the time and dedication and you will see results! Remember to always have fun.

SR: Is there anyone you would like to thank?

I would like to thank all my sponsors, Cycle Works Foothills, TMT Concrete Construction, LRX Performance, Lime Nine Designs, Sosa Original, my Mom Marleen, my Dad Trent, my brother Tyler and my boyfriend Josh. I would also like to thank you for taking the time to know more about me. I cannot wait for an amazing month of racing!

Thanks again Tamala for doing that and I can’t wait to see you out there. The final countdown begins for our 2016 CDNWMX Western National Series kicks off in Kamloops, British Columbia on June 4!