Olympic BMX rider Liam Phillips wants to do Burnham proud (From This is The West Country)

Olympic BMX rider Liam Phillips wants to do Burnham proud

2:30pm Thursday 28th June 2012 in News By Daniel Milligan

OLYMPIC BMX rider Liam Phillips said he is hoping to do the town, his family and Burnham BMX club proud this summer as he takes on the best in the world at the London 2012 Games.

It will be the 23-year-old’s second Olympics appearance in August, after competing in Beijing in 2008, but this time he will fulfil a life-long dream to compete on home soil.

Liam, from Burnham, was officially named in the Team GB squad earlier this month despite undergoing major surgery after a nasty crash on day two at the World Championships last month, having won silver in the time trial the previous day.

The former King Alfred’s student broke his collarbone and suffered three fractures in his rib cage and one in his shoulder blade but was still confident about his chances of scooping an Olympic medal.

He told the Weekly News: “If I can perform to the best of my ability then I will be in with a shout of potentially getting a medal but I can only control what I do and not what others do.

“I have still managed to do gym work but I am hoping to get on a bike again this week and then I’ve got five weeks to go until the Olympics.

“This is the real deal and something that I have looked forward to for a lot of years and one of the only chances you get as an athlete to get the exposure of your sport.”

Despite all his achievements, Liam remains level-headed and thanks his family and Burnham BMX Club for all their support over the years.

He added: “If I was to win a medal it would be a huge reward for my family for all they have done to getting me here today.

“I thank all the people at Burnham BMX Club who had the same drive and ambition as me because that is where it all started.”

The BMX event is on August 8, 9 and 10 at the new 6,000- capacity track in the Olympic Park.