Chellas making her name known in off road racing

Jade Chellas is making the most out of her last year of junior competition, currently winning her class in the Victorian Off Road Championship, second in the Australian Off Road Championship (AORC) and placing second in the Victorian Hattah Desert Race. In 2022 Jade claimed the title of 2022 NSW Enduro Rider of the Year and last year claimed the title of 2023 NSW Enduro Female Rider of the Year. Jade also had some amazing results claiming the top sport in NSW Off Roads, second in Australian Off Roads and third in VIC Off Roads. This year, Jade is hoping to hang onto the top spot in VIC Off Roads and get a podium finish in the AORC. Jade began riding motorbikes after watching her brother. "I began riding after seeing my brother do it and mum and dad thought to put me on a bike too and I just stuck with it," Jade said. Jade has competed in the NSW Off Roads for many years and this year solely focused on VIC Off Roads. "The races are pretty good in Victoria, their format that they do down there is really good, cause they normally do a two hour cross country one day and sprints the next so the tracks are pretty good when they've had rain," she said. Jade prefers the cross country over sprints as she says they are a bit more fun. Jade has two more weekends with two rounds each left to hang onto her top spot in the VIC OffRoad Championship. Jade has been competing in the AORC for three years now. The talented young rider claimed third in her first year of competition and second last year in her second year of competition. Last weekend Jade competed in Queensland for round seven and eight. "I got second through most of the sprints, I didn't ride my best last weekend but I still had fun, I had a few crashes but nothing too bad." Jade placed second for both rounds keeping her second position in the championship. There are two more weekends (four rounds) left in the year for AORC with the next in South Australia and the final two rounds being in Nowra. Earlier in the month Jade and her brother Luke competed in Victoria for the Hattah Desert race which saw many junior Parkes riders compete. This was Jade's eight year competing at the event. The Hattah Desert Race is one of the most prestigious races riders can compete at. Junior riders undergo two non-stop hours on their bike through sand and ruts and seniors compete in a five hour non-stop race that tests both mental and physical fitness of riders. Jade had an outstanding race placing second in the girls 12-U16 class and placed 54 outright in the junior big wheels (JBW). "It was a pretty good race, I wish I rode a bit better but I'm still happy with my result. "I prologued alright, I almost crashed which didn't help my prologue but still kept it on two wheels thankfully. It was very dusty, which didn't help very much but it is still my favourite race of the year, so I'm keen to go back next year as a senior," Jade said. Her brother Luke also had a good year at Hattah placing third in U19 and 28th outright in seniors. Other Parkes riders that competed were Kye (100th outright in JBW and 19th in his class) and Priya Kinsela (92nd outright in junior small wheels and fifth in her class), Alfie Rosser (217 outright in JBW), Lachlan Jennings (216th outright in JBW) Clyde Carey (DNF) and Jake Green (190th outright in seniors). For Jade's last year competing in juniors she is both excited and nervous to step up to the senior competition. "I will step up at the end of this year and do one of the last trans motos as a senior. I am looking forward to seniors as there are a lot more better races you can do that you have to be seniors for so it'd be good in that way, and heaps more people in the class." For the rest of her year, Jade hopes to claim either first, second or third in AORC and hopefully win her class in the Vic Off Roads while staying fit and healthy. "Hopefully I just keep having fun with it, hopefully keeping my results as good as I can."