ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Pineview Park BMX was quiet on Friday afternoon as local fans of the sport parked their bikes for a special Olympics viewing party at the Ultimate Sports Bar and Grill in Waite Park.
"To cheer on Alise!" shouted 12-year-old Bryn Kraemer and 11-year-old Lauren Michaelis in unison. "I mean, come on, why else would we be here?"
The community packed the bar to watch Alise Willoughby compete for an elusive Olympic medal in BMX. The 33-year-old St Cloud native is a three-time world champion and four-time Olympian, winning a silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
On Friday, Willoughby’s hometown crowd came in hopes of seeing her return to the podium after a crash took her out of contention during the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. They also reflected on all the BMX superstar has done to build the sport in Minnesota and all the injuries and heartbreak she has overcome to get back to Paris.
"Very inspiring,” Michaelis said.
"Yeah, love to see her race, it's very inspiring to see her and just know that one day maybe we could follow her tracks,” Kraemer said.
"I work at a school with some preschoolers and one of the little preschoolers, Alise is her hero,” said Phyllis Post, Willoughby’s great aunt. "I'm very proud to call her my great niece because of what a beautiful lady she is inside and out."
Another great aunt, Sharon Tellers, couldn’t say it better.
"Makes me want to cry,” she said. “I'm so proud."
On Friday, Willoughby successfully avoided a potential crash in her second semifinal run, rallying to make the finals despite the setback.
"It's exciting to watch and she made it through without falling so I'm very, very happy,” Post said.
During the medal heat, Willoughby shot out into second place, but couldn't manage to stay there, ending up in sixth - just off the podium.
"It wasn’t what we were hoping for, but how could you not be proud of her?" Post said.
"Oh my heavens, what she's done in her life is unbelievable,” Tellers said. "She's still an inspiration"