Daniel Sprague has been BMX racing since 1982. Image credit: Daniel Sprague.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) staff member Daniel Sprague has been inducted in the Australian BMX Hall of Fame.
From receiving his first bike from Santa when he was five-years-old to attaining his dream of becoming a professional BMX racer, Daniel has travelled the world competing and winning six national and two world championships.
The Australian BMX Hall of Fame is the official honour board for Australia's finest BMX talent who have helped shaped the sport in this country. The process of being inducted follows a strict criterion involving being nominated and screened by a board of directors.
Daniel at the 2024 BMX Hall of Fame Awards night.
Daniel said he feels honoured and humbled to be inducted into the Australian BMX Hall of Fame.
"I was selected and recognised by practitioners and experts in the sport of BMX. In essence, I've been recognised by my sporting peers for my contribution to Australian BMX racing history since commencing in 1982," Daniel said.
"That really makes me take a moment to reflect on all that occurred during that time."
Daniel competed in the 1989 World Championships – Brisbane. Image credit: Daniel Sprague.
From BMX racing to ECU’s International Office
Through his professional BMX career, Daniel had the opportunity to travel globally. Alongside racing, he was also involved in international marketing, communications, and sales for the bicycle industry.
This was the first step into an area that led to an opportunity to work within the education sector upon returning to Australia in 2003.
"As a BMX athlete I was introduced to numerous cultures and people during extensive travel through the Americas, Europe and Asia. I developed soft skills in working with people from various cultural backgrounds during my BMX racing career that apply to my roles in the education sector," Daniel said.
"That was 21 years ago, and I have been fortunate with work within the International Education Sector with private RTOs, ASX-listed multi-nationals, Government and Industry funded bodies and State Government prior to commencing at ECU's International Office last year."
As an International Account Manager, Daniel manages ECU's agent partner relationships for Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar and Thailand. He also works with colleagues from Edith Cowan College to maintain and grow student enrolments.
Although retired from full-time professional racing Daniel continues to coach and teach future BMX stars.
2023, Daniel with his 1985 Diamond Back - the bike he used to win his first World Championship in 1987 and place second in 1986. Image credit: Daniel Sprague.
Surprising ties
The BMX track compared to the international education landscape is vastly different, however, Daniel shares that he can still apply a similar approach in both contexts.
"For those that don't know much about BMX racing, it's a sport that requires a lot of preparation, strategy, physical effort, and emotion, to compete in races that take about 30 to 40 seconds. I like to say BMX is 'life packed into 30 seconds'," Daniel said.
"Some of the things I learnt while preparing for a 30 second BMX race are directly applicable to the work I do now. Planning, setting goals, understanding the conditions, knowing your competition, having a strategy, using your advantages, preparing for the unexpected, and doing so with a sense of humility and cultural awareness.
"These are all part my of BMX racing days that I apply daily within my role at ECU, with some slight twists for relevance."
Find out more about Daniel's BMX racing and ECU's International Office.
