Nine-year-old Vernah Khim Diez. | Facebook photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines—At nine years old, one would think Vernah Khim Diez would still be amused with kids’ toys.
Sometimes she is. But sometimes she gets bored.
That’s why she wanted to try something else.
She chose motocross.
And once she started riding the motorcycle, there was no stopping her.
This kid from Mandaue City in Cebu is showing a lot of potential despite being a newbie in motocross as she has already put up strong finishes in races here.
Since starting in April 2021, Diez has joined five races and her greatest achievement so far was finishing second place in the Man & Machine Promotions motocross event in Minglanilla, southern Cebu in February.
So why does this little kid like this sport?
“I get bored sometimes playing with toys,” she said. “I feel excited and happy during races.”
Her mom, Khimla, says Vernah got the idea of trying out motorcycles when she saw another kid riding one.
“She told me and her lolo in April 2021, that she wanted to try riding a motorcycle. She saw a kid riding a tinker motorcycle, a 49cc. So, we bought a second hand tinker motorcycle that became her first bike. It’s like a toy bike, but it’s not allowed for motocross racing,” said Khimla.
After that, they bought Vernah her first motocross bike.
“[It] was also second hand, but we’re very optimistic that we can buy her a bike that is as good as other competitors because we believe that she will hone her potential,” Khimla said.
According to Khimla, Diez was discovered by street photographers stationed at the famous Transcentral Highway when she brought her motorcycle to the area for a leisure ride.
Someone approached Diez and her parents, Khimla and John Peter Bernard, to sign her up for an upcoming motocross event.
Since then, she has joined four more races and was tagged the “Little Girl Rider.”
Aside from the second-place finish in Minglanilla, the kid also secured a fifth place finish in her first race held in Tabuelan, northern Cebu.
Her performance has indeed turned heads in the local racing scene.
In fact, Diez was recently made a brand ambassador of Smarties Apparel and Active Woman.
She signed a contract with the local apparel brand on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. The youngster joins Olympian marathoner Mary Joy Tabal and SEA Games duathlon bronze medalist Mary Pauline Fornea as brand ambassadors of Smarties.
Vernah Khim Diez (second from left) poses with her parents John Peter Bernard Diez (left most), Khim (third from left), and Theresa Mae Conson during their contract signing on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Mandaue City. | Photo by Glendale G. Rosal
According to Theresa Mae Conson, the proprietor of Smarties Apparel and Active Woman, they decided to tap Diez as their newest ambassador because of her huge potential in the male-dominated sports of motocross racing.
“I was really looking for someone at the grassroots level here in Cebu. A lot of people messaged me to check out the ‘Little Rider Girl.’ Also, my friend, a motocross rider Keken Cabahug, he recommended Vernah,” said Conson, who is also a sports organizer here.
“She’s one-of-a-kind, she’s a nine-year-old gem,” she added.
Vherna competes in the 50cc and 65cc categories and she’s usually the lone female competitor in her division.
According to her parents, Vernah is planning to compete in more races this year, in the hopes of finally acquiring a new bike for her motocross competitions.
/bmjo
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