That was the message Olympic silver medallist Sarah Walker delivered at St Joseph's Cathedral School yesterday.
The 24-year-old BMX champion with the delightful smile will team up with world champion pursuit cyclist Alison Shanks to promote the sport at the Dunedin BMX Club's open day at Forrester Park tomorrow.
Tonight, she will join nine other Olympians whose achievements will be acknowledged during the halftime break in the test between the All Blacks and the Springboks at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Life has changed dramatically since Walker won the silver medal in London a month ago. There have been television appearances, radio appointments and endless requests for interviews and invitations to attend events.
Eating at a restaurant or waiting for bags at the airport can involve a few scribbled autographs and a photo opportunity these days.
"It has been a bit bizarre," Walker said.
"But I don't mind. It only comes around every four years and I know the hype will fade away. Like anything in my life, I don't want to regret not making the most of it.
"I wish the Olympics happened more often because apparently it brought the country together really well and everyone was really enthusiastic about it."
Walker enjoys spreading the BMX word and encouraging people, especially children, to chase their dreams.
She was 8 when she watched Danyon Loader, of Dunedin, swim his way into Olympic history at the Atlanta Games in 1996 and was inspired. That is why she chose 96 as her racing number.
She told the St Joseph's pupils she trains six days a week and, unless Christmas falls on a Sunday, she trains that day, too.
People forget about thesacrifices top athletes make and only see the shiny silver medal, which she eventually pulled from her left pocket yesterday to plenty of "oohs" and "aahs".
"I'm passionate about the sport, so it is easy to do all the training," she said.
"I don't need the medal to remind me what I've done. It is cool, but it is the journey and what I did which is the important part.
"Hopefully, if I inspire one or two kids to want to be an Olympian then that is pretty awesome."
Walker plans to start training again next week. She is eying a third Olympics and her next competition is the North Island Championships in Whangarei.
"I wasn't sure if I would race in it or not, but they need me there for the funding side of things and to help promote it. To give back to the sport is so good, because it has given me so much."
The Dunedin BMX Club open day runs from 11am to 2pm tomorrow, at Forrester Park. It will include free riding time and demonstrations, and opportunities to meet Walker and Shanks.
