The need for speed

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Not many people enjoy being under stress but Hollister resident Drake Velador craves it. The competitor in him needs it, even if his demeanor doesn’t show it. 

“I like being nervous,” he said with a smile.

It appears the 18-year-old, who recently graduated from Hollister High School, uses stress and nerves as fuel, which has led him to successfully compete against the best BMX riders in the world in his division. 

Velador placed second in the UCI BMX Racing World Championships Cruiser Men 17-24 division in South Carolina in May. He has also won the California state championship three times in a row. His next competition is in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 13.

“The work ethic that this young man has is amazing,” said Shana Velador, Drake’s mom. “He puts his mind to something and he goes for it and he puts everything into it.”

That includes workouts, a training plan and proper diet.

Unlike youth sports such as soccer or baseball, where players attend organized practices, Velador follows a training plan from his coach, Travis Turesson, who lives in Ohio. His parents say they don’t need to push him to get his work done. Drake doesn’t shy away from his responsibilities.

“It’s pretty much my job,” he said, adding that his parents have supported him with everything he needs, including a home gym and practice track in his backyard.

“It’s kind of hard just to sleep inside when you have all this opportunity outside,” he said.

David Velador, Drake’s father, said it is not uncommon for his son to use his free time before school to prepare the race track to be ready for use after school.

With the Summer Olympics starting July 26, Velador doesn’t rule out chasing a spot in the BMX USA team in the future. But for now, his goal is to improve. And of course relish the ride.

As for his future goals in BMX racing: “I’d say number one still enjoy it,” he said. “A lot of people overwork themselves and they don’t really enjoy it at all. And just keep winning.”

Family competition

Before he discovered BMX racing, Velador was already competing on dirt bikes. Envy is what drove him to shift gears when he was 5 years old.  

“My cousin came with a big trophy and I got jealous,” Velador said. “So I wanted to try BMX and that’s pretty much where it started.”

He admits he wasn’t very good when he began, but credits the work with trainers, as well as his parents’ and sponsors’ support for growth in the sport. 

There is no doubt Velador enjoys crossing the finish line ahead of everybody else, but it’s equally rewarding for him to help the next generation. 

Every Monday, Velador hosts training sessions with young racers from ages 5 to 14. He leads drills on the track he and his father built together, as well as a neighborhood street. 

He said requests for one-on-one training developed into a weekly group session. He said he also hosts a summer camp where young racers fly from around the nation for a few weeks of training. 

Contributing to the BMX community is something Shana Velador says is special about her son. 

“To watch him give back to the little kids, teaching them how to be confident and better racers, is probably the proudest thing for me, and I would probably say my husband as well,” she said.

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