Racing, winning makes her happy
With blonde braids peeking out from her helmet, Courtney Bissell was the epitome of cuteness on her pint-sized motocross bike. She was 6 when she first started racing, and spectators would comment about how adorable she looked chugging along so slowly.
Two years later, she graduated to a 50 cc bike and cuteness was dropped in the dust. Bissell’s competitive spirit emerged and she beat a field of boys to take second place in this year’s racing season at the Airway Heights track.
The 8-year-old attends third grade at Hayden Meadows Elementary School, where reading and recess are her preferred subjects. She loves choosing new books at the library and said that “Old Yeller” was a favorite. Her brother, Cody, 11, gets the credit for inspiring his petite sister to participate in a male-dominated sport.
“I just got tired of watching my brother race,” Bissell said. “It got kinda boring just watching.”
Cody has also done well winning trophies at the races, which the two participate in every other weekend throughout the summer. They’ve traveled to places including Washougal, Wash., and Clarkia, Idaho, to compete. He watched his sister evolve from an adorable sideshow into a top contender this year.
“They put her on a KTM 50, and she’s out there beating everyone,” he said. “She’s stepped it up. It was like she was a different rider.”
His soft-spoken, modest sister can’t hide the gleam in her eye when asked how it feels to win in a race against more than 15 boys.
“It makes me happy because not a lot of girls get first place, and I feel proud of myself,” she said. “I get excited on the gate. I get really nervous because I always want to get the holeshot.”
Getting the holeshot, being the first to get to the first corner in the race, is Bissell’s specialty. She gives her father, Brian, credit for the tips he’s given to help with her strong starts. Her mother, Gena, points out that since they live in town, there is little opportunity for the kids to ride between events. Race day is their primary means of practicing. She admits she prefers family golfing days at Avondale to watching the kids fly around a track on dirt bikes. Protective gear, including helmet, goggles, chest protector, knee pads and gloves, are essential, and the siblings have been fortunate to never have had serious injuries.
When Bissell isn’t racing, she enjoys camping trips with her family, horseback riding and sledding on Cherry Hill. Her favorite movies include “Seabiscuit” and anything that involves motocross racing. In the future, she’d like to follow in her aunt’s footsteps and become a nurse.
Next year’s race season she’ll probably advance to the next class of bike with a larger motor, which will require shifting gears and competing with older boys. She seems ready for the challenge. Her favorite parts of riding are jumping and the starts, when they drop the gate, she said. Other pastimes can’t compete with the thrill of her racing sport.
“I ride a lot and practice and I get faster,” she said. “A lot of the other hobbies are boring, and motocross is real cool.”