You’ve probably heard the expression of getting back on your bike after a fall. It’s a way of saying that when life comes at you and knocks you down, stand up, dust yourself off and carry on again.
Vincent Leygonie lives that every day. Literally, as they say.
The 27-year-old from Johannesburg is representing Team SA at the Paris Olympics and he’s the first rider from Africa in the BMX freestyle competition, which was introduced to the Games at Tokyo 2020.
We haven’t met before and I’m in Cape Town, while he’s in Montpellier getting ready for his contribution to the Games on the 30th (two qualification runs) and 31st (hopefully, two runs in the final). For now, he’s training hard, using the UCI facilities to re-orientate himself with the larger parks – the size of everything, the ramps and so on are bigger than in South Africa, so it’s important to be here”.
To sum up what his role involves as a BMX freestyle cyclist, the easiest to to let him explain in layman’s terms. “In qualifying we will do two runs of one-minute each and we have to do as many tricks as we can in each run, after which we receive a score. The top nine scorers will go into the final.
“In effect, a whole four-year cycle (excuse the pun) comes down to a maximum of four minutes of competition. And, good fortune plays a big part. The more tricks we try – there are many different varieties like spinning the bike, a handlebar spin, spin with the bike, a tail whip and so on – the better chance of a higher score, but also a bigger chance to crash. I’d say that crashing can be up to 50 percent of the time.”
For the South African champion who is relatively inexperienced at international level and openly admits that he is hoping to make the country proud in Paris, and “trying to make the final where anything can happen”, 2028 might be a better indication of where his true limits lie. That may be true for any members of the Team SA squad which is an overall blend of experience and youth.
Which is where we can talk about getting back on the bike again.
“Now that you ask me, I can say with conviction that I’ve fallen off my bike thousands of times. It happens every day. I find the freestyle aspect to BMX something which is like a daily fix for me. It’s fun, an adrenaline rush, but I’m in my ‘safe spot’. I am a professional tattoo artist, so that takes up between seven to nine hours of my day, but before that I get in a gym session and after work I ride. I also enjoy a lot of climbing and hiking.”
For most of us falling off a bike, especially from “tail-whipping and spinning in the air off big ramps “, would leave us putting that bike in the shed and leaving it there. Not Leygonie.
“I’m used to getting hurt and injured. I’ve had two or three major injuries, but so many minor injuries,” he says. Which is where things start being put into perspective.
What constitutes a “minor injury”, I ask.
“Well, when I say minor injuries I mean ligament damage to the ankles for instance, and a lot of torn muscles. I’ve had plenty of minor fractures to my wrists, plenty finger breaks and lots of concussions. Everyone has their own fix. I think you could compare it with boxing, as an example. You’ll see boxers beating the living daylights out of one another and the next day they’re back in the gym preparing to do it all again. It’s fun.”
Fun? Yes, that is also relative, but it does explain his outlook on life. “Obviously I will be doing my utmost in Paris. But I also want to show kids back home that BMX riding is fun. When you have a good run, the rush is unbelievable. It’s a good sport to be involved with and I hope I can inspire young South Africans to follow what I am doing.”
One would assume that he has been involved with BMX for much of his life, so it’s somewhat surprising when he says he only took up the sport at the age of 17. Which explains the relative inexperience at international level and why 2028 might see the best of him. However, he is adamant that he couldn’t have got this far without the support of his father.
“My Dad says that he’s proud of me and he’s the best supporter that I could wish to have. He won’t be in Paris but he will be watching me from home and I’m sure I’ll be able to hear him from there ! Being a tattoo artist it probably goes without saying that I have quite a bit of ink on my own body. However, there are two tattoos which really stand out for me as being personal in meaning.
“The one is of a realistic-looking heart and it’s got infused with bike spokes and parts. It’s the life-lesson that my Dad always instilled in me. Be honest, be open and wear your heat on your sleeve. BMX cycling is in my heart and it’s what I love. I feel free when I’m on the bike and it allows me to express myself.”
There’s nothing more a father could ask of his son. Little wonder he’ll be shouting the house down when Vincent – “or Vince, or Vim, you can call me anything” – puts on that Team SA kit and gets on his bike at La Concorde in Paris.
Photo by Roger Sedres in Montpellier