Sedgley schoolboy Caelan Ratcliffe is a mini marvel
An eight-year-old boy that “can’t cross the road on his own” has enjoyed a successful year of minibike racing.
Sedgley’s Caelan Ratcliffe won the rookie class of the British Minibike Championships Winter Series, while also coming fourth in the Coolfab Championship this year.
His stellar performances mean he will be competing as a ‘pro’ next time out on a bike that can reach more than 60mph, a scary prospect for his mum Claire.
“Once his new bike built a bit of momentum up he was actually going over that (60mph) according to the stats,” she explained. “For a child who can’t cross the road on his own, that’s quite scary.”
Caelan’s love for riding started as a five-year-old when he noticed his brother’s old bike unused at home.
“His older brother used to ride but when he decided he didn’t want to do it anymore the bikes went in the garage,” Claire said. “One day Caelan said, ‘can I get on one’ and it just went from there.”
She added: “As soon as he got on the bike he showed a natural talent for it and as far as he’s concerned this is going to be his career when he’s older. His school has been brilliant – they give him Fridays off ahead of race weekends and even allowed to train in Spain for a week ahead of the main Coolfab Championship.
“He’s certainly got the life.”
