Logan Martin’s story: The Brisbane boy who grew up to be BMX king of the world

Logan Martin is an Olympic gold medallist with a full skate park in his backyard. But it’s been a long journey to this point. He opens up on fame, the challenges and what’s next.

Long before Logan Martin became an Olympic gold medallist or had 100,000 viewers on YouTube, the BMX freestyle superstar sat in the front seat of his Dad’s ute.

As a 15-year old, Martin would bounce his backside out of the front passenger seat, lean over the dash and peel his eyes out of the windshield, scanning the kerb-side guttering for old mattresses.

“When I was younger Dad (Sean) would drive around the streets and pick up mattresses to take to the local skate park (at Crestmead in Brisbane) to have a softer landing when we practiced new tricks,’’ Martin told News Corp.

“Dad brought down three mattresses and a wheelbarrow, which he used to move some sand from the nearby sandpit over to the ramp to help soften the landing even more.

“The only problem was, a few days later the council would then take the mattresses away while we were at school...so Dad would have to do it all again.

“His support and Mum’s also, was unreal when I was growing up.’’

Tokyo Olympic BMX gold medallist Logan Martin. Picture: Luke Marsden

From falling onto dusty mattresses, Martin’s sorcery on two wheels took him all the way to the holy grail of sport, a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in July, 2021.

Viewed by fans of the sport as the flashier cousin of BMX racing, which made its Olympic debut in Beijing 2008, BMX freestyle joined the Olympic party for the first time in Tokyo.

An Aussie, who played hooker in rugby league as a boy, before chasing a dream of conquering the world, will forever be the first-ever Olympic champion of BMX freestyle.

Martin had 60 seconds to execute his magic which included tricks on obstacles such as walls, box jumps and spines. The tricks are scored on aspects, including difficulty, originality, execution, height and creativity.

Such was the superiority of Martin’s precision and skill from his first run in Tokyo, he didn’t even need his second run to win the gold.

The Olympics hit different

Martin went to the games as a two-time BMX freestyle world champion.

But the Olympics have always hit different.

The impact from his gold medal performance was instant and immense.

Martin helped Olympic broadcaster Channel Seven to its highest TV ratings outside of the Opening Ceremony.

2.07 million viewers watched Day Nine of the Games when Martin delivered gold, making it the ninth highest rating program on free-to-air TV for all of 2021.

As Martin held back tears on the podium, Hollywood actor Nicole Kidman pulled her favourite BMX bandit t-shirt on and took to social media to offer her praise.

The impact of the gold medal performance was instant and immense. Picture: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

“Congratulations from this BMX bandit to Logan Martin for winning the first ever Olympic gold medal for freestyle BMX,’’ Kidman wrote on Instagram.

Hosting their own TV show during the games, American rapper Snoop Dogg and comedian Kevin Hart applauded Martin’s Tokyo triumph.

When Martin returned home, the world’s largest toy company, Lego, phoned him to ask if he would front their Lego City Stuntz range.

Not surprisingly, having heard of his father’s handy work in providing the padding that created the confidence for Martin to perform backflips, front flips and aerials that his rivals are still trying to copy, Australian mattress supplier, Koala mattresses had Martin front a TikTok campaign, where he showed how to perform the “perfect flip.”

And now Martin has written an enthralling book, Journey to Gold, with respected News Corp journalist Scott Gullan, about his rise from obscurity, the challenges, sacrifices and setbacks to become the world’s best.

“When I went to the Olympics I wanted to showcase what freestyle BMX was and then to win that gold medal, it brought great recognition,’’ Martin said.

“I get a lot of postcards and photos in the mail for me to sign and send back to the person.

“A kid from Switzerland wrote to me. I’d never had that before the Olympics.’’

Martin was the first Olympic freestyle BMX champion. Picture: Alex Coppel.

‘I found the house to build a skate park’

Just as famous for his Games glory, Martin is well-known as the guy who built his own skate park in his backyard in the Gold Coast hinterland, in the countdown to the Olympics.

News Corp recently visited Martin’s property.

The father of two can stare down onto the steep ramps from his kitchen table, where sipping on his morning coffee, he can draw imaginary routines in his mind.

The wide and deep half-pipes took three weeks to build.

“I moved in four years ago and we built the skate park six months after I moved in,’’ Martin said.

“I found the house to build a skate park.

“I was at the point of either moving overseas to where there’s a better training facility or building a training facility here.

“I decided to stay here and look for a big property.

“The day I came to look at it, the real estate agent showed me through the house and I said, I’m not really here to look at the house, I want to look at the backyard to see if we can make a skate park.

“I bought it that week.

“Funnily enough, the agent came around after the Olympics and asked for a signature for his kid.’’

He built a skate park in his backyard. Picture: Luke Marsden

The obsession

Martin’s decision to build his own skate park speaks to his intense drive and diligence to be the world’s best.

His every limb covered in tattoos suggests something of a wild child, with his $3,000 bike, the neighbours must think they live next door to a dreamer, squeezing as much out of his boyhood fantasy, before life determines he grows up.

The truth is, Martin could compete alongside any elite athlete in Australian sport. He is supremely fit and has no time for anything that could dent his ascent to the top.

He is 29 and has drunk alcohol only three times in his life; at his wedding to his wife Kim in 2019, with his Dad after winning gold in Tokyo and then most recently, following the funeral of his father in September.

“It wasn’t hard to stop. For the first year, there was a lot of peer pressure to drink and then once people started realising that I wasn’t going to drink, then it was a lot easier,’’ Martin said.

“Then it just became normal for me. I’m clear where I want to go and what I want to do every day.’’

Martin with his wife Kim and children Luna (11 months) and Noah (3). Picture: Instagram

What is also abundantly obvious is Martin is devoted to the point of obsession.

Your columnist has interviewed World Champions, Olympic legends, NRL, AFL and cricket greats.

Martin shares the same unique level of professionalism that all the special ones demand.

He trains five days a week on his bike, either in his backyard wonderland or at a world-class indoor facility on the Gold Coast, riding for two hours every session.

He spends another four hours in the gym and gives his body a chance to recover on Wednesday’s and Sunday’s.

“That’s also family day, which is so important,’’ Martin says, pointing to his three-year old son Noah and 11-month old daughter Luna.

With the backing of AusCycling, Martin has his own coach, physiotherapist, trainer, dietitian, doctor, sports psychologist and skill analyst.

“This year we have really focused on getting the right crew to take us all the way to Paris,’’ Martin says matter-of-factly.

The road to Paris

The Paris 2024 Olympics are just over 590-days away yet Martin is already devising his minute-by-minute plan to go back-to-back.

“I want to see how far I can push myself and what I can reach,’’ Martin says.

Asked if he feels like he is being hunted by the rest of the world, Martin replied: “Yes.

“I’ve always felt like that though.

“Because I’ve been competing for a long time, I’ve always gone into events knowing that I can win an event, if I perform at my top level.

“And I also know the other riders want to beat me.

“I’ve always felt like that.

“There’s probably more pressure now from everyone else to do well.’’

Competing at the UCI World Cup in his backyard on the Gold Coast this weekend, Martin will go for gold without the man who helped provide the crash course towards sporting excellence.

Sadly, Sean lost his battle with emphysema in September.

“I’m definitely always thinking about him,’’ Martin said.

“I miss the messages after the event. I miss talking to him.’’

Asked what he would say to his son if he were here today, Martin said simply: “Well done champion.

“He just always knew I could do well.’’

Originally published as Logan Martin’s story: The Brisbane boy who grew up to be BMX king of the world