Caboolture four-year-old Karen-Rose Dailly already a state BMX champion

She could make motorbike noises before she could talk, was on a pushbike before she could walk and is now a state BMX titleholder. Meet Caboolture’s pedal-powered Preppie.

She could make dirt bike noises before she could talk, was on a pushbike before she could walk and is now a state BMX titleholder.

Meet Caboolture’s pedal-powered Preppie, four-year-old Karen-Rose Dailly.

Proud mum Stephanie Holyoake and dad George Dailly, a keen BMXer himself, introduced her to dirt bikes at the tender age of six months when she was tried out on a Pee Wee 50.

But it was after she hopped on a “balance’’ bicycle six months later that the pint-sized wonder really took off.

The Australian Christian College Moreton Prep student was now ranked number 1 in the state in the BMX under-5 division and recently competed at the 2024 Aus Cycling BMX Oceania Championships.

Karen-Rose Dailly with her bike and “55’’ family number. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Karen-Rose in action on the track.

“We actually started putting her on dirt bikes at six months old to give her a feel for it and to see if she would like it,’’ Mrs Holyoake said.

“She could make motorbike noises before she could talk and we put her on a balance bike (which have no pedals or chain, but are propelled using the feet) at 12 months.

“At 18 months she got her first BMX balance bike and by two was in her first mini wheeler race.

“She has always been the youngest on the track, but she is so determined.

“She jumped on the pedals at three and has never looked back.’’

Karen-Rose with some of her medals.

Mum and her little champion with yet another trophy.

Mrs Holyoake said the budding champion initially struggled to keep up with the leaders early last year as her legs were not strong enough.

But by the second half of last year she was regularly making podium finishes and often first place.

Her baby sister, seven months, was still too young to join her on the BMX track and her stepsister, 6, did not have the bug.

But all her cousins on her dad’s side were mad on the sport, while dad George was a keen rider.

Karen-Rose raced with her father most Friday nights and some Saturday nights and trained a lot with him, usually on tracks in the Gympie area.

George also handed down the coveted “55’’ family number to Karen-Rose, a sure sign of the wins still to come.