The 15-year-old rode from the back mark in this handicap event alongside a group of older and more experienced men and after working turn for turn with these other riders, was still in touch when the final catch was made and the race exploded in the final three kilometres.

The race was won by Illawarra Cycle Club's Merrick Law ahead of Nowra Velo's Mitch Cunningham while Brooklyn crossed the line in eighth position. Brooklyn has been racing with the Nowra Velo Club for just over a year and had joined up to enhance his bike skills in both road racing and criteriums for his triathlon events.

Throughout 2018 Brooklyn raced in the NVC's B grade events with many solid performances, however he was elevated to A grade for his first race in 2019.

This was a criterium event on the fast 800m circuit on the Albatross Aviation Tech Park and he lined up alongside the club's 2018 criterium champion Aaron Coghlan and NVC's most consistent A grade performer of 2018, Levi Johns and more hardened experienced riders.

Brooklyn went on the attack throughout the 35 minutes of racing and had established a 100m lead going into the bell lap. He held this advantage to take the race and his first win with the Nowra Velo Club. This performance confirmed his position as an A grade rider in the NVC for 2019.

However Brooklyn is first and foremost an accomplished junior triathlete and is a member of the Illawarra Academy of Sport triathlon squad.

He recently won the intermediate boys (15 and 16 years) section at the NSW All Schools Triathlon Championships held at Penrith.

This has earned him selection in the NSW team for the Australian All Schools Triathlon Championships at the Sunshine Coast in Queensland in May this year.

Immediately after winning the NSW All Schools Championship, Brooklyn packed and flew to Devonport in Tasmania for the Australian Triathlon Youth Championships where he finished fifth overall and was the first NSW contestant to finish.

Brooklyn is a pleasant and easy going young man with a good sense of humour and is popular with the riders and members of the Nowra Velo Club.

We will see and hear a lot more of Brooklyn Henry in both road cycling and triathlon in the future.