A learner of the St Dominic’s College Welkom and well-known motocross rider, Blade Tilley (13), will represent South Africa in July at the 2023 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in Bucharest, Romania.
He will be competing in the competition’s 85 cc class.
Blade was also chosen to represent the country in August at the 2023 FIM Motocross of African Nations event in Cape Town.
Considered a fierce young competitor, Blade is known for his holeshots in races. He dominated every class he rode in provincially and attained his Free State colours in the 50cc class four years consecutively, in the 65cc class (2019, 2020 and 2021), and was also crowned as the South African champion in this class in 2021.
Last year he advanced to the 85cc class and was chosen to represent the country in the FIM Motocross of African Nations event held in Uganda, but broke his arm in the first race and had to fly back to South Africa for an operation.
This incident kept him out of the sport for more than two months.
At this stage, he is ranked third in South Africa in the 85cc class, with still four rounds to go in the South African championship.
The costs to compete in the world championship are huge. More or less R180 000 is needed to send him and his father, Jared, to Romania.
Blade greatly appreciates the support that has always been forthcoming from the Goldfields, accompanying him in his motocross endeavours.
- The Tilley family is well-known in this sport. Dad Jared was also a Free State champion and now competes in the veteran class.
Little brother Casey received his Protea colours last year when he attained a third position in the FIM Motocross African Nations event in Uganda, and was also crowned as the Free State’s 65 cc champion.
– Chrystelle Erasmus
