Like A Phoenix From The Ashes, Edwards Has Risen

Rising like a phoenix rising from the ashes, New Zealand's Roma Edwards has hit the international big time, being crowned the British Women's Motocross Champion for 2022.

That's a truly remarkable comeback and meteoric rise for the young woman, who, after a huge motocross crash at a provincial event in the South Island nearly three years ago, had been told she'd never walk again.

Edwards was seriously injured in November 2019, breaking both ankles while racing at the Marlborough championships.

She was then given heartbreaking news by her doctor: Both her ankles were broken, her racing days were over and she could lose her left foot.

Edwards was forced to watch racing from the sideline, propped up on a pair of crutches, as visiting Australian Charli Cannon won the women’s class at the Honda-sponsored Woodville GP in January 2020.

A year later, in January 2021, Edwards had fully recovered and she impressed in becoming the women's champion at the 60th annual Woodville GP event ... her comeback was complete.

But then, soon afterwards, the bike world was "put to sleep" by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic caused a halt to a lot of the racing community's activities in the months that followed, with the NZ Motocross GP at Woodville cancelled for January 2022.

However, in early April this year, the 19-year-old travelled from her home in Tauranga to the United Kingdom, accompanied by her mum, Lisa, excited to compete in the British Women's Motocross Championships, an eight-round series run over five months.

Blue Wing Honda in New Zealand had already shipped out a Honda CRF250 for her to race.

In between the racing, Edwards trained hard both on and off the bike, under the guidance of her New Zealand coach, Black Dirt Collective, and that dedication reaped a rich reward with her winning the UK title for 2022.

Edwards was born in the UK, but emigrated to New Zealand when she was aged just two.

A UK title has always been a goal of hers and that is now one that she can tick off her list.

Edwards, who originally hails from Motueka, also tested the waters racing the Spanish MXGP in May this year, the fourth round of five in the series.

Edwards managed 20th and 21st in her two WMX GP races in Spain, good enough for 21st overall for the weekend. This was the only GP event she contested in 2022.

Now Edwards has her sights set on racing the full WMX GP season next year, where she will again line up alongside New Zealand's three-time former world champion Courtney Duncan, who is also from the South Island of New Zealand.

Credit: Words by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

© Scoop Media