Hamish (11), a year seven pupil at John McGlashan College, has been selected in the Mighty XI BMX team to race against an Australian side in Cambridge at the end of the month.
He started racing only two years ago and won selection for the team at a trial in Cambridge late last month.
But it was an eventful weekend for him, having to overcome plenty of drama both on and off the track.
It rained on both the warm-up days, making the track impossible to ride.
Then, on the day before racing, Hamish and his father and coach, Neil, went out to get some groceries, only for their camper van to be burgled.
A brand new video camera was stolen, along with a cellphone and a small amount of prize money gained in competition.
But the off-field incidents did not deter him as he fought off some strong challengers to make the team.
He was racing against North Island riders, who were keen to move him aside and did not mind using some rough-house tactics.
But he won through to the final, where he was placed fourth, good enough to be selected in the five-strong team.
Training, though, has not been easy.
All meetings are held out of Dunedin, as the track at Forrester Park has been under repair and only now is ready for racing.
So that has meant trips to Christchurch and to the North Island for training every weekend.
The next three weekends would see him journey to the North Island for training camps and then the main test match against Australia on Labour Day weekend.
There would be one-on-one races and team events.
The Mighty XI event came about after a BMX rider was killed in Ipswich in Queensland in the early 1990s.
His family donated a trophy and it was decided to hold an invitation meeting for a junior class.
This then grew into an annual exchange event between New Zealand and Australian riders, who have to be aged 11 on the day of the race.
The last Dunedin person to make the team was Ray Geary, who was selected in the team nine years ago.
