At the Lone Star USA BMX Nationals in Houston, Texas, Squamish's Teigen Pascual faced the eight-metre hill for the first time in a competition.
She won the race, much to her surprise.
"It was my first race on that hill," she said. "I was going in like, 'Just stay off the ground.' I had no expectations for that weekend. That was a bit of a surprise."
Pascual was training on the same track with Team Canada ahead of the March 6 to 8 weekend competition, so had an opportunity to practise. The track is the same one that will host the world championship this year.
There were 11 other competitors in her category for the March 6 to 8 events, including riders from Canada, the U.S., Japan, Costa Rica and Ecuador.
"It's a new category for me. The next step would be pro, so elite," Pascual said after the race.
For her next races, Pascual said she'll be working on her skills, including jumping.
"This weekend was really good for seeing where I'm at with that, and just seeing how I've been improving."
Reflecting on her latest races and good result, she's also working on building her confidence.
"I knew that I could, I just didn't know if I would," she said.
While she was slated to compete in Europe next month, many upcoming BMX races are being postponed due to the coronavirus, COVID-19. Then there's the national competitions and World Cup. At this point, she's not sure what her next race will be.
"It's kind of a waiting game," she said.
