“Boo the Beast” is locked and loaded after win

By Courtney Warren

While most five-year-olds are learning how to ride a bike without training wheels, Henley “Boo” Greer recently won at the Grands National, which, in BMX, is the equivalent to a Super Bowl.
All year, racers compete in local and national races to gain points. At the end of the year, it all comes down to Grands. 
According to Boo’s mom, Elizabeth Greer, “NAG means ‘national age group’ and NAT means ‘national.’ Boo’s NAG is five and under girls, and NAT is all the girls in the country, no matter the age. She is NAG 1 and NAT 29. She went into Grands sitting at NAG 2 and NAT 67. In order for her to pull out NAG 1, she had to win it all.”
The three levels of racing include novice, intermediate and expert. 
When a racer gains ten wins as a novice, they are able to advance to intermediate or expert. 
Boo jumped straight to expert to only race girls and join the “girls club.” 
“It’s harder competition, but you no longer have to race boys. In her first girl expert race, she placed third. We weren’t even expecting a podium finish. Since then, she has had seven first place national wins and twelve other podium finishes. She is #1 in the Southeast region, #1 in the state, NAG 1 and NAT 29,” said Greer. 
“It’s a huge accomplishment for MagRidge to have a NAG 1 rider and NAT rider. And, as crazy as it sounds, riding her NAT29 plate means more than the NAG1, because it’s a national ranking with all girls in the country,” she added. 
Boo sees the world as one giant adventure and can always be found with a smile on her face. She’s excited, determined and encouraging to those around her. 
Boo’s love for the sport began as she watched a family friend’s son race at MagRidge. 
“He asked if he could take Boo out on the track with a balance bike; and, when he did, she never got off. She had turned three two weeks before, and she was hooked. At three-and-a-half, she started racing a pedal bike. Once she got on pedals, there was no stopping her. She wanted to be called ‘Boo the Beast,’ and now she is making a name for herself,” said Greer. 
Being an only child means her parents get to worry about her from the sidelines with all of their energy. 
Greer said, “I get super nervous right before a big race. You have to race three rounds. If you come in first in the first round, you transfer straight to mains and skip the second round. I always get a sick stomach when we are in staging. It’s not the dangerous part, it’s just I want her to do so well.”
The family has a special tradition before the races to calm those nerves. 
“We stop in staging and pray: ‘race fast, pedal fast, and finish fast and let the angels ride with you and protect you,’ - then we ‘activate beast mode.’ After that, she’s hyped and ready. So am I,” said Greer.
Racing is not without wrecks, and Boo has had a few - one that even led to her being knocked out on the track. 
“She’s one of the toughest little people I know, and she hops up and keeps going. She has never let a wreck keep her down or affect her riding, and I am so grateful for that. Her daddy gets nervous when we are up there and is ready for her to make the turn so he can yell for her,” said Greer. 
Boo won’t be limited by a racetrack and has big plans for her future. 
“She wants to go to the Olympics, and I think that’s the best dream for a five-year-old to have. I know she can do it if she keeps at it. She said she wants to hear Boo the Beast on the TV one day, and she got to hear that last week. Her daddy and I will do everything we can to help her achieve her goals, because we believe that she can.” 
“She wants more people to know about our track and is constantly asking her friends to come. So, if you want to try it out or see Boo the Beast race, she will be at MagRidge in Ridgeland,” said Greer. 
With “Beast Mode” activated and a grin on her face, Boo is ready for everyone to eat her dust.