Reading a book or drawing isn’t Camryn Smith’s idea of the perfect hobby. For her, it’s something entirely different. She cycles and competes in races around Amarillo, having fun along the way.

“My parents were the ones who inspired me to start cycling,” Camryn said. “They were pro cyclists before I began cycling.”

Camryn said her dad still goes cycling with her on occasion and that she and her mom enjoy mountain biking together.

“When I first started cycling I didn’t know much about what I was doing,” Camryn said. “I hadn’t trained yet and I was using a BMX bike for mountain biking.”

She said this caused her to be tired throughout the entire ride, but she managed to push through and finish the course. She said she has never felt so tired in her life.

“Cycling isn’t always fun and easy,” Camryn said. “I have been in wrecks before. I once fell off a cliff with my younger cousin and fell into a river and I have been in many close encounters with people in cars getting way too close while I am cycling.”

She said she hopes that people will pay more attention to cyclists when they are driving because it is difficult for cyclists to stop quickly in order to avoid getting hit.

“It is a lot harder than people think for cyclists to just stop for cars,” Camryn said.

As a cyclist, Camryn often shares the road with vehicles. It is only for competition that the roads are blocked off for protection.

“The longest I have gone cycling is when I did a non-competitive 24:00 race in the Canyon,” Camryn said. “It was a fundraiser in order to help raise money for cancer research.”

When it comes to cycling, Camryn hopes to compete in many competitions in the future. Her dream is to enter the two-week TNGA meet when she is older.