Devon BMX Ace Targets World Championship Glory
Callum Chard-Maple is a BMX rider who clearly has the talent to match his big ambition to be a World Champion.
Just 20 years old, he already has a wealth of experience. He started racing when he was four years old and over the next 16 years has accumulated a stack of national age-group race successes.
Callum not only races for Tiverton Tornadoes, whose home track is in one corner of Amory Park but, he is also their club coach and works for a company called Premier Education where he is a sports coach.
I first spoke to him at Tiverton’s Exe Valley Leisure Centre where we were both doing our own weight training sessions.
As a former gym instructor, I was impressed by his efforts and attention to detail. He told me the indoor training was aimed at helping with strength and power for his BMX riding and I quickly appreciated this quiet unassuming young athlete had lofty ambitions and an admirable level of confidence. We resumed our respective training and agreed to speak again after he returned from a competition in Tiel, Holland.
Callum was aware I had an international sports career as a long-distance race walker in the British athletics team. My last overseas win was in March 2000 (before he was born) and hoped it might be a good omen. True or not, he returned home and was delighted to tell me, “That’s so weird your last international win was in Holland and my first was in Holland last weekend. That is crazy!”
Off on a strong footing, I asked him how it all started.
“I got into BMX because of my dad. One day driving home from work he spotted the BMX track and took me down on my pedal tractor.
"His idea was to get me into BMX racing to understand the racing side of things and then get me into kart racing which was something he was very successful in.
"I knew the sport was for me from the very start as my second race was the Southwest championship which I won at the age of four. Then I won the British championship from the age of six years old and went on to win the British title three more times in a row.”
Tiverton Tornadoes host BMX tournaments where hundreds of enthusiasts descend on Amory Park in a spirit of intense yet friendly competition for all ages. Training nights are similar, particularly for young children, notably supported by family and volunteers.
Callum is quick to praise his own team.
“My parents have been extremely supportive throughout my career and coming to the events to support me. My dad being my mechanic and coach has got me where I am today.”
Racing is fast and furious with up to eight riders competing in one race over 300-400 metres of dips and jumps on purpose-built dirt courses. Each race typically features multiple heats with the first rider to finish the race wins the competition.
Callum added, “My British and national titles are age group titles. I won my last national title when I was in the 17–18-year-old category. This series is where we race at eight different national tracks throughout the country and race two days at each event and the best overall points win the title.”
Callum family home is close to the Tiverton tornadoes BMX track in fact within 100 metres of the starting gate. His role as head coach for the club sees him helping the younger riders with their fledgling careers.
Callum appreciatively says, “After I had a short break, they have supported me since rejoining the club in 2024 and asked me to become their coach which I now do twice a week and I love it.”
In 2025 he had his first ever overseas racing experience and proved to have been a baptism of fire.
He recalls having very competitive speed at the BMX World Championships in Denmark but endured the pain and disappointment of an accident in his first qualifying round and broke his collarbone. This meant his world championships was over and resulted in two months of recovery which also saw him missing the British championship.
Determined to get back as soon as possible, he focused on strength in the gym and getting stronger when back in the saddle.
His typical training consists of lots of gym work and riding the bike on the track several times a week. Dedication personified, he estimates his training takes up 80% of his week.
This year he has already competed in the first four rounds of the European Cup series in Verona, Italy and Tiel in Holland. He came away with a 2nd and 5th in Verona which he felt was a very good start. Last month in Holland he surpassed that by not only winning but in the process beating the world champion from his age group and the world champion from the age below.
He said, “I was extremely happy and now it leaves me ranked 1st place in the European cup series.” Looking ahead he hopes to carry on this superlative racing form.
“I now am setting my focus on the big one at the end of June - the European Championships in Sarrians, southern France where I am aiming for a podium finish.”
The specialist BMX venue is renowned for being a hotbed of European training and racing. Making the final alone will see Callum ranked in the top 8 in Europe in the 17–24-year-old men’s age category. His goals don’t end there.
“My future ambitions are a big focus on the World Championship in France in 2027 where I aim to make a championship final and get redemption from Denmark. Once I have the World Championships out the way I will wait and see what might follow for the rest of my career.”
By Chris Maddocks, 5-time Olympic race walker.
