NOT even a spectacular crash could wipe the grin off Kane Golding’s face when he completed his maiden Finke Desert Race last month.
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The 20-year-old Katherine resident took part in the iconic event for the first time in 2015 and said it represented the realisation of a lifelong dream.
“I’ve been riding since I was about seven or eight,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to do it since I started riding.”
Mr Golding tackled the challenging course on his four-stroke Kawasaki KX250 and crossed the line in 211th place, adding his name to the list of riders who have conquered the event.
“I had a big off that sent me through the air and I was looking at my feet,” he said.
“It bent the handlebars and I rode the last 50 kilometres with them like that, but it was hard.
“I’ll do the race again in 2017, after I’ve forgotten about the whoops and the dust.”
Mr Golding said that, despite being alone out on the track, his campaign had been far from a solo effort.
“With the amount of money I’ve had to put into the bike, it would not have been possible without my sponsors, my family and friends, and the Katherine Motocross Club,” he said.