Going at full throttle, trying something new, being outdoors - at the tender age of eight, Helena Jaschke is in no doubt about the attractions of motocross. Since 11th June last year when she attended the ADAC MX Academy 'powered by KTM' at MC Fürstenwalde, the blonde junior school pupil from Neu Lübbenau in Brandenburg has been devoting every minute of her leisure time to the sport. "The introductory training course with head coach Heike Petrick assisted by Silvio and Sandro was really exciting and I had a lot of fun," says Helena. "Many of the other children there gave me the support and encouragement to go out on track and beat the boys out of sight, which I actually managed to do," she adds with a laugh.

Heli, as she is called by her family and friends, discovered her passion for speed from her uncle Ronny and from her cousin Philipp who is two years her junior: "Ronny is a motorcyclist himself and is my great role model. He taught my cousin how to ride, which I found totally cool. When I found out, I immediately wanted to learn as well." Mum Bianca and dad Daniel at last fulfilled the wish of their only child and bought her a small KTM SX 50. Bianca: "She was very persistent, and eventually my husband gave in. Since attending the ADAC MX Academy, she is totally fired up. She's registered as a member of MC Fürstenwalde and just wants to practise every weekend. So we either drive her to the track at the club or my husband supervises her practising in the fields or in the woods. The boys and fathers in the neighbourhood are really impressed. Now and again, they come to watch. Even Helena's teachers speak in positive terms about our daughter's hobby."

The parents support their daughter financially. Bianca works as a podiatrist and waitress, while Daniel works for the national police force. To enable their child to have fun on her motocross bike, they save every euro cent they can, even limiting their holidays to one week a year: "Heli's coach Heike has said that our daughter has potential. We obviously want to foster this, so we are fully behind her."

Now Helena needs a new motorcycle to continue her training. The 50cc bike is too small for her, so the family has sold it. Helena just can't wait for spring when she is due to take possession of her new 65cc machine. "The ADAC MX Academy has taught me how versatile motocross is. As a sport, it's also quite strenuous. The sections of the track I find most difficult are where I have to corner on sand and immediately go uphill." But she never gets scared when she is riding her bike. On the contrary, she always relishes a new challenge. Helena is looking forward to one day in particular: "I would like to be holding up my first trophy in the near future." A dream that could soon become a reality, given her level of commitment.

Since last year, MC Fürstenwalde in Berlin-Brandenburg has been one of the seven locations hosting the ADAC MX Academy powered by KTM. Head coach Heike Petrick, herself an active Enduro rider, is looking forward to a new intake of motivated youngsters registering for the introductory training course: "We are thrilled by the lively interest being shown and the excellent response. This has been especially noticeable in the large number of entrants to our ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg Enduro Kids Cup, of whom around eight are junior MX talents from the Academy courses." It is important for Heike that there are opportunities for the next generation of motocross stars away from the better-known racing series, where they can compete with other like-minded youngsters on tracks that are suited to their stage of development. This is why she as coordinator of the Enduro Kids Cup has been working for many years now to ensure that motorsport remains a platform that is diverse and offers many opportunities for boys and girls alike.