These moms put the ‘M’ in BMX
Plus: New CMS elementary school delayed — Medicaid coverage to be expanded in N.C. — Murdaugh receives 2 consecutive life sentences — Panthers founding owner dies at 86
Good morning! Today is Saturday, March 4, 2023. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger’s Weekend Edition.
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Why should kids have all of the fun? After watching their sons have a blast in BMX competitions, these mothers decided to put on their helmets and join them.
READY TO ROLL: Ginger Markham (from left) and her son Jack line up next to Matt, Sonia and Kuba Badanik at the top of Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track one evening in January.
by Lindsey Banks
Stadium lights shone down on Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track one winter evening around 6 p.m. as three moms watched their sons ride a few laps around the track.
The women did what sports moms tend to do, as they leaned against a fence: they shared parenting war stories of ER trips for broken bones, concussions and missing teeth.
Then, Sonia Badanik’s 13-year-old son Matt rode over to ask a question:
“Are you coming, Mom?”
Badanik and fellow mom Ginger Markham put on their helmets, grabbed their handlebars and followed their sons up the concrete incline to line up at the gate at the top of the track. Kristy Bochniak and her 13-year-old son Jude were done practicing for the day, and left the track to join their family for dinner.
At the top of the hill, the sound of the starting gate dropping echoed across the track, and Badanik and her two sons, Matt and 10-year-old Kuba, along with and Markham and her son Jack, 12, took off down the concrete decline, riding over hills (called “rollers” in BMX lingo), making sharp turns and even catching some air on a few jumps.
BMX, which is short for bicycle motocross, isn’t just a sport for the young. It’s for the young at heart, too.
How it all started: Badanik, 48, Markham, 45, and Bochniak, 44, were all inspired by their sons to pick up their first BMX bikes. They joined their local team and learned how to ride by listening in on their sons’ private coaching sessions and practicing at Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track every week.
Markham, who lives in Charlotte, started riding two years ago. She first heard about the sport from her neighbor who was attending a new rider orientation. Six months later, Markham brought Jack to the same orientation.
During those first winter months, Markham would sit shivering in the bleachers, waiting for Jack to finish practice. But one day, she decided to buy a BMX bike and ride to keep warm during her son’s training.
“It was too cold to sit and watch him, and too much fun to not try,” Markham said.
Bochniak, who lives in Fort Mill, has been racing for four years. She was used to riding bikes for triathlons, so one day, Jude suggested that she give BMX a try. She went to a new rider orientation and hasn’t looked back.
“It’s intimidating at first, I wouldn’t lie about that, but the more you do it, the more comfortable you get,” Bochniak said. “I did it, and [Jude] came, and he was so proud. It made him so happy to see me out there.”
Badanik, who lives in Charlotte, started riding three years ago. Her sons, Matt and Kuba, have been BMX racing since they were 4 and 3 years old. Badanik decided to try the sport because she thought it looked like fun.
“I felt like I looked dumber when I was doing [beginners’] stuff because I’m the old person, and they were little kids, and nobody cared and they were cute,” Badanik said. “But I think it’s still cool knowing that we can overcome all of this stuff, like the crashes.”
Tough spills: BMX is a high-risk injury sport, and crashes are almost inevitable. For young riders, their injuries heal quickly. For mothers, the recovery time is a little longer.
Badanik said she’s crashed multiple times, one of which was during her first national competition in Rock Hill. She wiped out in the final stretch in front of a crowd of people sitting in the bleachers, but luckily she only suffered a few bruises and scrapes.
Markham broke her wrist early in her training. Bochniak landed herself in the emergency room with a concussion after she crashed at a national competition. It took her six months to get back up to her pre-crash speed and confidence level, she said.
“Getting back on the bike isn't necessarily that hard, but getting back doing things at the level that you were doing — that’s hard,” Bochniak said. “You don’t want to push too hard.”
Cool moms: Contrary to typical tween-boy behavior, their sons seemed to be thrilled to share the track with their mothers.
“It’s honestly kind of cool that I have a mother that does the same sport that I do,” Jude said.
“It’s a W,” said Matt about his mom’s riding. (W means “win” in teen talk.)
Jack said he loves that he can beat his mom.
More adults joining in: Markham said she’s noticed a rise in the number of women racing over the past three to four years. She said when she first started racing, there would never be more than 12 women in a single category. Now, some women’s categories have over 20 riders.
And the data confirms that: A spokesperson for USA BMX told The Ledger that participation in women ages 40 to 50 has increased more than 75% in the past five years. Overall, women’s participation across all age groups has increased by 57.5% over the past five years.
Markham pointed out a few other mothers and fathers who were riding on the Rock Hill track that Wednesday night. She and Badanik rode with their sons until the track closed at 8 p.m.
“It’s really a community,” Markham said, looking around at the dozen or so BMX riders of all ages and skill levels. There was even a 4-year-old on the track.
On one of their last trips around the track, Matt, Kuba and Jack made plans to get some well-deserved custard after their exhilarating evening of BMX training. Their mothers tagged along, too.
Lindsey Banks is a staff reporter for The Ledger: lindsey@cltledger.com
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This month, we’re celebrating our 4th birthday and sharing some insights into who we are and how we make this operation run.
Part of that is understanding our customers. In June 2022, we surveyed Ledger readers. Among the questions, we asked: “List your top 4 non-Ledger news sources.” Here’s what we learned:
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This week in Charlotte: CMS board approves construction plans; City committee to review 3 proposals for Eastland Mall site; Novant to buy 2 local hospitals; LaMelo to sit out rest of season after successful surgery; Pollen comes early
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
New elementary school delayed: A new elementary school slated to open next fall across from Ardrey Kell High School in south Charlotte will be delayed until the 2024-2025 school year “due to construction and issues with permitting,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials announced Friday afternoon.
CMS board signs off on construction plans: (WFAE) By an 8-1 vote, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education approved a $2.9B bond package that would renovate old buildings and build new schools. The request goes to county commissioners, who must sign off on any bond proposal to go to voters this fall.
Ex-student sues UNC Chapel Hill: (Ledger🔒) A former Morehead-Cain scholar at UNC Chapel Hill filed a 192-page federal lawsuit two weeks ago in Charlotte against the university, saying he lost his scholarship and was kicked out after being falsely accused of sexual misconduct by four women.
Politics
Medicaid expansion deal reached: (Observer) North Carolina’s House and Senate have agreed to expand Medicaid coverage across the state that will “result in less cost, but at the same time vitally important to protect access to health care, particularly in our rural areas,” said House Speaker Tim Moore.
City Council shows no signs of nonpartisan election: (WFAE) The City Council has embraced most recommendations from its Citizen Advisory Committee on Governance — like longer terms, higher pay and an eighth district seat — but switching to nonpartisan elections is not one of them.
Local news
Murdaugh to spend rest of his life in prison: (Post & Courier) Disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh was sentenced Friday to two consecutive life sentences in prison after being found guilty of killing his wife and son on the family’s Colleton County property in June 2021. It took a South Carolina jury just 3 hours to render a guilty verdict Thursday after the 3-week trial.
Pappas Properties one step closer to mixed-use project: (Biz Journal) The Matthews Planning Board voted 6-1 Tuesday to recommend approval of a rezoning request by Pappas Properties for a mixed-use development on an 82-acre site at Stallings and Idlewild roads.
Business
3 proposals for Eastland Mall site: (Ledger🔒) The City Council’s Jobs and Economic Development Committee is expected to hear details Monday of three proposals submitted for the old Eastland Mall site which are believed to be a tennis complex, a swimming complex and a Target. Some eastside community leaders are unhappy with one proposal to put large-scale retail on the site.
Novant to buy 2 local hospitals: (Observer) Novant Health has agreed to buy Lake Norman Regional Medical Center in Mooresville and Davis Regional Medical Center in Statesville in a $320M deal, the company said in a news release. The deal requires regulatory approvals.
Apple closing at Northlake: (WBTV) Apple announced it has permanently closed its Northlake Mall location less than 24 hours after a third shooting happened at the mall in the past three months. Apple did not say the closure is a result of the shootings but said it plans to open another Charlotte location early next year.
Sports
Jerry Richardson dies at 86: (Ledger) Jerry Richardson, founding owner of the Carolina Panthers who brought pro football to the Carolinas, died Wednesday night.
LaMelo’s ankle surgery a success: (NBA) Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball had a successful surgery on his fractured right ankle and is expected to make a full recovery, but he will sit out the rest of the season.
High school football goes big-time: (Panthers) For the first time, two high school football teams will play at Bank of America Stadium. Providence Day School will play Northwestern of Rock Hill in a season opener on Aug. 19.
Good reads
Trouble in ‘Trashville’: (Asheville Watchdog) Some merchants in Asheville say they’re fed up with rampant vagrancy and panhandling and say the mountain town’s downtown is “nearly lawless.” They describe “having to clean up human excrement, needles, broken windows and trash” – and say the city has done almost nothing to respond. Some out-of-town tourists have started calling the town “Trashville” on social media and say they won’t return, according to an investigation by Asheville Watchdog, a new nonprofit news organization.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Some home sale prices fall in Charlotte region: Home sale prices have been falling in Lincoln and Cleveland counties for the last three months, as higher interest rates drive buyers out of the market.
Authentic PR response or AI chatbot? Starbucks replied to The Ledger’s inquiry about Starbucks closing its mall locations, but the spokesman didn’t answer our question at all, so we wondered: Could an AI chatbot do better?
January rezonings 🔥: The city received 47 rezoning filings after many developers raced to meet a Jan. 31 deadline to have their plans considered under existing zoning rules, before the new Unified Development Ordinance takes effect.
Wednesday (🔒)
Phillips Place amps up the luxury: As Phillips Place tenants like Regal Cinemas and Brooks Brothers make their exit from the south Charlotte shopping center and businesses like high-end women’s clothing store Veronica Beard set up shop, Phillips Place seems to be looking toward a more luxurious shopping experience. However, it may face some obstacles in attracting luxury brands with its older tenants like P.F. Chang’s and Hampton Inn.
Here comes the pollen: Spring is coming up on us faster than usual, according to UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens Director Jeff Gillman, and Eastern red cedar trees are just one early culprit of the increased pollen.
New podcast episode: Dress for Success Charlotte Executive Director Kerry Barr O’Connor sits down with Ledger managing editor Cristina Bolling to talk about how Dress for Success empowers women, how nonprofit fundraising changed during Covid, and how Dress for Success had to quickly bring the Your Hour Her Power fundraising campaign off the back burner and into action during the pandemic.
Friday (🔒)
High school basketball ticket scalpers: Tickets to the boys and girls western regional basketball championship games at Providence High today sold out in seconds Thursday and were being resold for prices as high as $80 to $200. The N.C. High School Athletic Association hadn’t put a cap on the number of tickets that could be purchased at once. They said no one bought more than 16 tickets in a single transaction.
Charity Spotlight: Charlotte nonprofit Claire’s Army provides support to families and children with pediatric cancer through care packages, meal delivery and emergency assistance programs.
Eldora Morgan of Charlotte spent most of her life grooving to Motown, and even at 101, she was the life of any party. She died on Feb. 7, six days short of 102.
Charlotte FC and St. Louis City SC — the two newest MLS teams — will christen a brand new soccer-specific stadium tonight called Citypark in the western part of downtown St. Louis.
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project