Hackney siblings shine in BMX racing
A talented trio of siblings from Hackney are establishing themselves in the BMX racing scene, with a year of high-level competition ahead.
Thomas Millar, aged 17, is set to compete in this year's World Championships in Brisbane. Meanwhile, his younger sisters, Katie Millar, 14, and Phoebe Millar, 10, enter the season as reigning national champions in their respective age categories.
"I love the community, it's a great community sport. I love the adrenalin and the discipline of training to improve."
The family recently received a bursary from leisure provider Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), which supports their development by funding gym sessions and training.
'Normal backgrounds to Olympic heroes'
The siblings primarily train on Tuesdays at Lee Valley VeloPark in Stratford, east London, the venue used for BMX events during the London 2012 Olympics.
BMX racing became an Olympic sport in 2008 and has experienced significant growth in popularity since then.
Team GB earned its first medals in BMX at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, with Peckham's Kai White winning silver and Essex's Beth Shriever securing gold.
"This footprint is exactly where the Olympic track was held. I get to see the development and the potential for kids from normal backgrounds to go and be Olympic heroes."
Julian Allen, a coach at the track, expressed pride in witnessing young athletes' progress.
The Millar siblings are very supportive of each other and assist one another in learning and improving. Thomas expressed great pride in his sisters.
Their parents, Alex and Andy, described the children as "strong, confident, resilient kids," attributing these qualities to their involvement in BMX.
"You know, I think that really teaches them," Alex said. "You know, you fall off, you get back up again. It's what you do when you ride a bike."
Katie, who placed seventh at the UEC European Championships 2023 and is scheduled to compete for Team GB in Copenhagen in 2025, shared her experience of racing.
"When I'm in a race, I'm completely locked in, I don't really think about what's going on, but also when I jump – it's so fun."
Phoebe, who achieved third and first place in rounds three and four of the 2025 European Cup and also represented Team GB at the 2025 World Championships in Copenhagen, began riding BMX at approximately two years old and first visited the track at just four days old.
"I love following them around on tracks, to school, everywhere."
She added that her brother and sister had taught her, "I can achieve anything that I put my mind to."
Thomas secured third place at the 2025 British Championships, finished fourth overall in the National Series, and represented Team GB at the 2025 World Championships.
All three siblings qualified for the 2026 World Championships in Brisbane; however, only Thomas will attend after saving to cover his own travel expenses.
"I'm racing the World Championships at an amateur level later this year and hoping to step that up to elite level in the coming years. It's nerve-wracking already but it's going to be a great opportunity."
Previous recipients of the GLL Sport Foundation bursary include Olympic diver Tom Daley and former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua.
The bursary provides financial assistance, free training memberships, and sport-science support to help athletes with their development.
Applications for the next round of awards are open until 20 February.
Additional reporting by Chris Slegg
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