BMX rarity: 3 Cape boys together at top
Three Cape Coral brothers have achieved something so rare in BMX racing no one locally admits to ever having seen it before.
All three earned No. 1 plates in their respective divisions last month at the Southeast Regional BMX Championships in Sarasota. They are entitled to display the treasured plates on the front of their racing bicycles at any and all events they attend in the nation for the next year.
The oldest brother, C.J. Giuliano, an 8th-grader at Gulf Middle School, won his plate in the 14-year-old Novice division. Tyler, also in the 8th grade at Gulf Middle, earned his in the 13-year-old Expert class. The youngest of the three, Isaac, a 2nd-grader at Gulf Elementary, got his in the 8-year-old Novice class.
The three sons of Elisha and Chris Giuliano all took up the BMX sport about two years ago. These apples did not fall far from the tree. Their father raced when he was younger and was still riding when the Cape Coral BMX Track opened here.
Why, you ask?
“We know where our kids are at all times,” said Elisha. “It keeps them off the streets and away from all the bad stuff kids their age get into.”
The Giuliano family lives not far from the track in Southeast Cape. Even when the track is not open for practice or racing (three nights a week), the boys are riding and racing each other in the wide open vacant land in their neighborhood.
“These kids eat, sleep and breathe BMX,” added Elisha, who serves the Cape Track as an assistant clerk while Chris volunteers his time around the facility.
C.J. won each of his preliminary motos in addition to the final Main race in his class at the regional, leaving no doubt about his No. 1 ranking. Tyler matched his older brother’s feat in dominating his class.
Isaac, on the other hand, won two of his motos, placed second in another and took second in the Main to accumulate enough points for the coveted plate.
The best rating any of the boys had achieved prior to last month was Tyler’s No. 2 in the Florida Championships back in May. C.J. was No. 4 and Isaac No. 5 along the state trail.
They did not race in the regionals last year, but competed in the BMX Nationals in Kentucky last September where Tyler came away with a No. 4 plate despite racing just weeks after breaking his collarbone. C.J. did him one better, earning No. 3, and Isaac got No. 8.
“They scare me always when they race,” said Elisha. “I’m very superstitious about it. I’d be on one side of the fence and when I’d go to the other side one of them would (crash and) get hurt, so I’m very careful everywhere we go.”
Injuries are a part of the BMX sport, but mom and dad don’t think they are any worse than football.
These boys, Elisha says, have no desire to play football, or any other organized team sport. They are devoted to BMX exclusively.
“It’s an awesome sport,” says C.J. “You are out there racing for yourself, not depending on anyone else. You win or you don’t, it’s up to you.”
The brothers indicated they always give 110 percent when they practice or race. Their goal every time is to make it to the Main, and then just race and do their best.
Racing comes with a number of rules in the household, too. The boys are required to finish their homework and maintain good grades in order to keep racing. They also have to help with expenses – a bike can cost $1,000 each, plus costs associated with traveling to major events in state and out of state – so they work and do chores to earn money for their endeavors.
“It makes them more responsible,” said Elisha.
Racing at Cape Coral BMX is open to anyone. Membership in the National Bicycle League is required to practice or race with riders as young as 3 years old participating. There is no too-old-to-ride age limit, either.
For more information on the sport locally, visit the track website at www.capecoralbmx.org.