Pro BMX star wows St Albans children at holiday camp

A professional BMX rider visited a St Albans summer camp to teach the children some stunts.

Matti Hemmings is a world-class athlete who has competed all over the world and appeared on a Nickelodeon show called Get Your Skills On as Matti Axel.

He has also broken three Guinness World Records, including holding onto the record for the most BMX deathtruck spins in one minute.

Every Wednesday is themed for the Kool Kidz summer camp at Sandridge Primary School, and Matti had been invited to hold stunt workshops for its BMX day.

When he arrived Matti demonstrated his moves before taking groups of children for BMX lessons.

The youngsters then showcased their new skills in a final afternoon display.

He said: “I think it is about [the children] building confidence on the bike, but also off the bike they can use the skills they have learned - confidence, doing something a little bit different - I think that all helps them, especially later on in life.”

Matti stressed it was important to have a lot of fun as well.

“I think there are so many good reasons why children should do stuff like this, the list is as long as my arm really.”

He first became interested in BMX as young as 11 years old, competing professionally for the first time when he was 18.

The professional BMXer now also organises private, corporate, festival and community events which include freestyle or flatland BMX, mountain biking, freerunning, and skateboarding shows.

Kool Kidz was set up 10 years ago by husband and wife duo Karen and Mark Broom.

Mark said they sometimes describe the job title as directors of fun: “We have had a really good day.

“We have got Matti Hemmings here, all the kids are on the bikes, he’s teaching them all the tricks that he does, to a basic level obviously, and they have absolutely loved it until this point.”

He was pleased the weather had cooled down for the sessions.

Over the summer break, Kool Kidz hosts a variety of themed Wednesdays, including an exotic animal day and a 999 day where the children learned about firefighting, first aid and policing.