Sara Malkin's 11-year-old daughter Noa is one of the fastest youth riders in the country. Sara talks about the line between support and pressure.
My job isn't to make her fast. My job is to make sure she still loves it at 16.
She crashed hard last season. The first thing she said when she woke up was 'when can I ride?' That told me everything.
Q. How do you know when to push and when to pull back?
A. I never push. She sets the pace. If she says she's tired, we rest. If she wants to ride, we ride. The second it becomes my dream and not hers, I've lost.
Q. How do you manage the risk as a parent?
A. Full gear, every time — no negotiation. We pre-walk sections. And her bikes are sized right, never too big 'to grow into'. I can't remove risk, but I can remove stupidity.
Q. What about school and racing?
A. School first. Racing is a privilege that grades earn. So far that's never been a fight — she wants both.
Q. Advice for other parents of fast kids?
A. Find them a coach who cares about the kid, not the result. And celebrate the ride, not the podium. A kid who had fun on a bad day will outlast a kid who was praised only for winning.