Kangaroo Valley is full of people who refused to let 2020 get them down.
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After the Currowan fire struck in January, followed by COVID restrictions in March, many residents had lost homes, income or infrastructure.
Outdoor Education Officer David Johnson, said the two events made for a bleak start to 2020.
"This was a double whammy to local business and meant the community struggled with not much to look forward to," Mr Johnson said.
However, a group of residents dedicated themselves to a project for the whole community - a pump track.
A pump track is a recreational space where bikes are ridden over a series of bumps and rollers and around berms using balance and core strength.
An old abandonded BMX track was identified as the ideal spot for the new pump track.
"I enjoy mountain biking and my kids enjoy mountain biking," Mr Johnson said.
"There's a pump track at Shoalhaven Heads that's packed every weekend and I thought it would be awesome to have something like that in Kangaroo Valley - and the block next door to our house had an unused BMX track on it."
A professional concept plan was put together by Dirtz who specialise in the design and construction of off-road cycling facilities and Shoalhaven Council gave the project got the go ahead.
"In an interesting twist, Shaun the track builder and several other locals who have been instrumental in making the track happen used to ride on the same site as teenagers," Mr Johnson said.
"The team who are now constructing the Kangaroo Valley pump track were asked to pull down the jumps they had built on the site approximately twenty years ago as nothing was approved.
"Their homemade jumps built on the site were deemed dangerous as they increased in height and resulted in several trips to the local hospital."
Since that time Shaun has competed as a professional downhill mountain biker winning the junior Australian title and representing Australia at the 2011 world mountain bike championship and was a regular finisher in the top ten participants of world class events such as Fort William in Canada.
He hopes the new pump track can become a source of both enjoyment and skill development for the local kids.
Mr Johnson said the KV pump track committee saw the project not only as added infrastructure for the Valley but also something that would boost community wellbeing and put smiles on the faces of local young people.
"The kids have had petitions for skateparks and things but it has just never happened," he said.
"The Kangaroo Valley Mountain Biking Club is keen to see it happen too."
The pump track committee applied for several grants and were lucky to garner the support of the Commonwealth Bank through a community bushfire recovery grant, the UCI cycling group and Shoalhaven Council.
Contractors such as JBG and Downer Seymour White also threw their support behind the project and trucked in almost 1600 tonnes of clay and soil to the site at no cost.
Local families, individuals and some businesses have also donated to the project.
O'Connor Group have recently begun work on the pump track project and hope to have the track ready to ride by the new year.
The wet weather has caused some delays, but the group hopes the track will be rideable in the next fortnight.
"With the pump track close to becoming a reality the local community are excited to see things moving and there is a buzz amongst the Kangaroo Valley youth," Mr Johnson said.
"Several working bees to complete the landscaping will be held to get everyone involved before the track is ready to ride.
"Anyone interested in this project or supporting the track should contact me on 0409 903440 or check out our facebook and instagram page @kvpumptrack."
