Off-road biker, Zené Petitt’s favourite memory of riding is when she managed to ride a scooter for the very first time.
The 13-year-old started riding three years ago after her dad became the co-owner of RAD Motorcycles in town.
“I started out on a quad bike and steadily progressed to the two-wheeler. My dad is a great instructor and trained my brother, sister and myself. He is always encouraging and patient,” she said.
Her family is part of the Christian Motorcyclist Association (CMA), which they joined three years ago. Zené remembers that her first time on a two-wheeler was on her father’s purple old scooter. “This scooter is sentimental because my dad used it when he was still pursuing my mother. She always says that he is her captain on a bike because a prince on a horse would not do,” she explained. She recalls how ecstatic her father, Eugene was when the training and hard work paid off, however her mother, René was very nervous, waiting on the side-lines with an over sized first aid kit, praying through it all.
Although she does not compete at a professional level yet, she takes part in off-road events and challenges. She will be competing in October at Roedtan. Zené said that she does not feel pressure when racing because the track is part of her family. On Saturdays, they pack a picnic basket and load seven of their bikes and head to the track. René said that they encourage their children to take part in off-road events.
“This is why we make time for them to improve their skills. We are all competitive of nature and enjoy pushing each other to be a little better each time,” she said.
Zené is passionate about her academics, particularly mathematics. She was awarded the math prize for her 98% average and was announced as the academic grade winner for 2020.
“I am also doing professional tap dancing at Frieda’s Dance Academy. I’ve been tapping for six years now and achieved 100% in my final tap-exam last year,” she said.
She is an avid baker as well and plans to pursue her love for cooking and baking in the near future.
