This year, 26 district sporting legends are being inducted to the hall of fame, honour roll and junior honour roll categories in the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame. The News is featuring stories on each of the inductees in the lead-up to the induction ceremony on August 6. Today News reporter Rodney Woods speaks to Leigh Egan, who is being inducted to the hall of fame.
An injury ended his BMX cycling career prematurely in the early ‘90s, but that didn't stop Shepparton's Leigh Egan from having a huge impact on the sport.
The man known as "The Master of BMX” was Australia's first elite men's BMX world champion and Egan's efforts on the dirt tracks have been recognised by Greater Shepparton City Council's selection committee, which has selected him as a nominee for the region's sports hall of fame.
Once Shepparton's BMX track opened in 1980, Egan knew it was the sport for him.
“The local government built a track in the early ‘80s and at the time it was a pretty exciting sport and pretty exciting venture, so we ventured out to the north end of Shepparton and started riding around, which was fun,” Egan said.
“The competitiveness (was my favourite part).
“Just to line up with an even start with seven other people and find out who was the best.
“I was always like that.
“I can remember as a young child in grade two and three and we’d go for a run around the block before class and I had to win it.
“That drive was there from a very young age.”
That drive Egan speaks about allowed him to have a successful career in the sport, which included titles at state, national and international levels.
“I did 10 years of BMX at a reasonable level and then I retired in 1991,” he said.
“To win a world championship is obviously exciting and to do it in Japan in 1984 when I wasn’t expected to win — it was great.
“Once you make the final I think everything starts again and you have the same opportunity as the seven others.
“I think races where you are under the most pressure and you can get over the top and win those races they are probably the most (fulfilling).
“Probably my first Australian title in 1985 in Launceston (Tasmania) at York Park — that was one of the biggest highlights.
“Then in 1986 in Elizabeth, South Australia.
“That’s because I wasn’t expected to win in Elizabeth and my teammate Paul Addams was going better than me, but once again, in the final I was able to pull out the big guns and get over the top and that was probably a highlight.”
Despite all that he achieved, it could have been much more had it not been for a crash during a race at Oakleigh South.
“I had a fall at the South Eastern BMX track, where I severed three fingers in a freak accident,” Egan said.
“I was very unwell for a while after that and to come back I had to change a lot of the things that made me who I was.
“The break lever had to swap from one side to the other and so forth which made it hard and the injury pretty much finished me up.”
Despite retiring earlier than he would have liked, Egan still likes to attend events at Shepparton's BMX track.
“I haven’t been involved for a long time now, but I still like to catch up with guys from the past and I still venture over to the track, which has been upgraded for UCI regulations, so they have some pretty good events over there now.”
Egan said it was a "fantastic" feeling to be nominated for the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame.
“Just to be thought of with the likes of some of the other people wo are already in the hall of fame is fantastic,” he said.
“You don’t do the sport other than for love, but if it takes you to places in the world and you get to travel and enjoy what you are doing that’s just a benefit that comes with it I guess.
“I'm just happy to be involved in sport in general and I’ve been blessed with a little bit of sporting talent to be able to travel the world and do those things and meet people and I’m probably the person I am today because of it.”