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Bethanne Doppelt was tired of sitting on the bench.
After spending eight years cheering on her three sons at BMX competitions where the boys maneuvered bikes on hills and jumps in a sprint to the finish line, Doppelt decided to try the sport herself.
The 49-year-old teacher at West Valley City's Redwood Elementary didn't know what to expect when she first hopped on a cruiser at a Mother's Day race two years ago. But from her first lap around the track, she was addicted.
"Being a school teacher and raising four teenagers, the stress release is amazing because you can take out your tension on the track," said Doppelt, of Sandy. "The harder you pump, the faster you go. The lights go off and you're coming down out of the gate and pedal to the hill. The winner is the person who gets around without falling first."
While Doppelt tried the sport for fun, she soon became competitive. In two years of racing, she has established herself as one of the top women in her age group in the world.
She qualified and competed last month at the UCI BMX World Championships Ride in England, which drew 2,000 riders for one of the last major international competitions before the London 2012 Olympics later this summer.
The four-day event included two categories: an elite racing championships competition and the amateur challenge class. The elite group readied themselves for the Olympics, while Doppelt was entered in the challenge class, which offered a surprise: She had qualified in California to compete in England in a category for women age 45 and older. But when she arrived overseas, she found herself competing against women age 30 and over.
She finished in the middle of the pack, but had there been an age group for 45 and over, she would have been at the top of the medal stand.
In addition to its thrills, the sport has given Doppelt a way to connect with some of her students at Redwood Elementary, a school with a high poverty rate and many children who come from broken homes, she said.
Doppelt, who teaches third grade, learned to motivate herself at a young age. She lost her mother at age 9, and her dad raised her and her two sisters alone.
Always a talented athlete, Doppelt earned attention as a competitive swimmer known for the 100 butterfly as a youngster in Virginia. She joined the U.S. Navy, where she developed an interest in power lifting, which led to more awards.
"A lot of these kids have single parents, a lot have parents in jail. I lost my mom when I was 9. I had to get myself out of bed each day. I try to tell these kids, listen, you cannot depend on people in life," said Doppelt. "If you want something in life, you've got to find it and figure out a way for how to get it.
"That's the motto I go by when I teach at school. I stay up until 1 a.m. in the morning grading papers and try to figure out how can I help these kids? I can give you the tools, but it's you that has to decide whether or not you want to take a part in learning."
Doppelt recently demonstrated her ability to reach speeds of 22 mph in a 50-yard stretch on her bike, a feat that impressed students so much they now refer to her as "that BMX teacher" in the hallway at summer school.
Her colleagues at Redwood Elementary were entertained by Doppelt's assembly as well.
"She showed the kids if you try, you can do it. That was really great for our kids to see," said Sylvia Hutto, an administrative assistant at the school who donated money to help cover Doppelt's travel expenses to England, along with several other teachers at Redwood Elementary and in the community. "She's great. … Our school needs all the support it can get."
After a busy year teaching and competing, Doppelt is setting new goals for her future BMX racing. She'd like to see more women join the sport and was excited local tracks sponsored an "Olympic Day" race on Saturday, when those new to the sport could try BMX biking.
Her three sons and daughter are impressed with their mother's drive to succeed.
"She kicks my butt," her 19-year-old son admitted with a smile. "She's really fast."
Doppelt admits she has taken her share of spills while mastering techniques and improving her speed while training. Despite that, she maintains BMX racing is a sport anyone can do.
"The people are generally very friendly. You can go up to any man or woman who races and say 'hey,'" she said.
Twitter: @mrogers_trib —
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