Podcast – Andy Welsh
I always love to do podcasts with friends who are not very revealing on social media about their BMX history/career, it’s kind of a mystery and in this case, it’s a total mystery as Mr. Andy Welsh is not on social media at all.
I’ve known Andy since the mid 80s. He was in the age group above me and has been someone I always looked up to and respected, for what he did in BMX, and, you will also find out on this podcast that he’s a very humble man with good values.
Andy made a name for himself pretty much right off the bat getting on GT Factory. Coming from Scotland it was known Andy would make the long drives South to get his BMX fix or as in many cases would take the train down to the Nationals and back home on the sleeper Sunday night in time for Monday’s school.
Andy talks about racing in Scotland at the start, the rivalry with Wayne Llewellyn, Lee Flavin, Dean Iddiols, Simon Hayes, Sean Field, alongside some of the teams he rode for. Andy chats about people who helped him along the way from his dad to Fred Hunter, Bernard Williams, Sonny Ives, Tony Scott, Ron Peter, Mark Fryer, Carole Gosling and Tom Lynch Sn (Big Tom).
He covers his training, having a trainer even in the 80s, analyzing Geth Shooter and why Andy’s first-straight was so good.
Andy talks about pulling the Slam in 1986 Winning the National and British Champions, the European Champions and World Championships all in the same year.
Years later Andy talks about how honored he was that fellow Scot and Olympic 6x Olympic Champion Chris Hoy sent him the 86 Worlds Video and gave him props.
In his first year Superclass (1987) at only 16 years old, Andy went head-to-head with Tom Lynch for the National title, crashing out while leading the European Championships finals in Belgium, to when was looking like a favorite again at the 87 Worlds in Orlando winning everything up to the final for a possible showdown with US star Mike King, only to flip the gate in the final; and if you’ve seen the video you will know what Andy shouted.
Andy talks about winding it down, family life these days, work and keeping in shape. It’s great to finally see and catch-up with Andy after 25 plus years and record this.
Hope you like it.