Andy Close
ELLERY CENTER, N.Y. – BMX champion Donnie Beals loves giving back.
This past Thursday and Sunday, Beals hosted a clinic at Charlie’s BMX Track in Ellery Center (N.Y.), and there was a special cause involved.
Beals donated, sold shirts and auctioned off one of his championship helmets to support Carson Kiser, a Beaty-Warren Middle School Student who has been battling leukemia.
“It’s just something I wanted to give back,” Beals said. “My buddy Randy came to me and we were talking on the phone and he said ‘what are you doing with all this old equipment? You’ve got a trophy room that’s pretty full.’ Sometimes I’ll raffle off something. He said you know what, there’s a young kid at Beaty, a fifth-grader, Carson, that has leukemia. I think that’d be a great thing for you to do. And I said yeah, I’m in.”
Kiser underwent a bone-marrow transplant last month and has continued to undergo treatment since.
“To be able to help out is a blessing,” Beals said.
You can see more about Carson Kiser here.
As for Beals, his BMX journey began at Charlie’s, the very same place where he was holding his clinic.
“I started in the early 1970s,” Beals said. “My buddies all started to get together and started doing the racing, I got involved in it and next thing I know I was hooked. It’s been over 40 years, I’m still riding a bike. I’ve been blessed with the whole situation, as well as teaching kids. The whole goal is to get more people involved in BMX racing, whatever it takes.”
And Beals has enjoyed the success both as a competitor and as a teacher, with his talents taking him around round world.
Beals calls Florida home, where he’s been an 18-time state champion in the most competitive state for BMX racing in the country.
“It’s taken me around the world to 14 different countries,” Beals said. “I’ve been world-ranked, 2, 3, 4 7. Won the Pan-Am Games in 2019, the Las Luces South American Races, they give you a parade when you win that. I’ve been to the world championships nine times, been an 18-time state champions. It’s been a blessing.”
And while he still competes, one of his main focuses now with USA BMX is teaching.
“I’ve had 99 different champions with BMX that I’ve trained over 15 years,” Beals said. “Of course, I’m looking for 200. Once you get to 100, you want 200.”
Beals also said that he’s been slow to share his story, because it’s far from over.
“I’ve still got a lot to go,” Beals said. “Now I’m into coaching a lot more. With USA BMX, that’s their whole theory on this is to try and give back and get more people involved. Being one of the coaches, I’m able to do that. My buddies who I’ve grown up with, they have grandkids that are out here riding.”
A well-written story indeed, with the final chapters still to come.
