An extreme sport like BMX (Bicycle Motocross) may not be the first thing that comes to mind to help overcome a mental health condition. However, that is 1 what enabled Nikita Ducarroz to fight her fears.
As a child, Ducarroz spent every 2 moment on the soccer field. But at 13, the talented athlete began to suffer from 3 anxiety attacks that made it hard for her to leave home. When her mother told her she had to continue playing a sport, Ducarroz found BMX as a way to 4 that rule. Little did she know that BMX would soon 5 every aspect of her life, and become the reason she would push through her fears one step at a time.
The tale began when a BMX video on YouTube inspired her to try the extreme sport. She saved up for a bike. Then she began practicing 6 in her driveway. Soon, her excellent skills brought her enough 7 to ride at the local skate park. With that confidence, Ducarroz was 8 to ride in the competition in 2016, and she has not looked back since.
"The bike made me get out of the house, go to the skate park, and 9 get on a plane," said Ducarroz. "It 10 me to overcome all my fears."
The 26-year-old is now one of the world's best female BMX freestylers. Ducarroz now has her 11 set on the 2024 Paris Olympics. She says, "My goal in Paris is another medal. I can get that done with the training."
Though she still suffers occasional 12 attacks, Ducarroz now knows how to manage them. To help others with mental health conditions, Ducarroz has started an Instagram page called MindTricks. It is where people discuss their fears 13 .
"MindTricks started because of my own 14 that I was making on Instagram about mental health," she explained. "And I thought, ‘Why don't we create a place where others can do the same, a central spot where everyone can read about these stories and also feel 15 to share their own stories?'"
