In 2025, I had the honor of being invited as one of the only overseas riders to compete in the China National Series. I can hardly believe it’s already been a year, and this year I was fortunate enough to be invited back for 2026.
It didn’t start out the way it ended. When I first met these competitors in the pits, we kept our distance. We respected each other as fellow athletes, but that’s where it stopped. On the starting line, we were fierce competitors, every one of us pushing as hard as we could for the title.
What struck me during race week was how much we could say without saying anything at all. A nod. A handshake. Eye contact that didn’t need explaining. We were athletes who understood each other in a way that no Google Translate could match. Sometimes that kind of communication says more than words ever could.
To my surprise, after a hard week of competing, practicing, and setting up for the final race, I was actually invited back to train at the home base of one of China’s largest national teams. It was mind blowing.
Very few countries in the world have a full-time jet ski racing team. China is one of them, and the only other I can think of is Team Flamingo, which I’m also exceptionally grateful to be a part of. Walking into that facility and seeing what a fully dedicated program looks like up close was an experience I’ll remember for a long time.
For the whole week, I was with them 24 hours a day. Breakfast, training, dinner, sleep. The days had a rhythm to them, and somewhere inside that rhythm, the language barrier started to matter less. We went shopping together, walked through markets, sat down for long meals, and played cards until it got late. We figured out how to communicate, and more often than not, we were laughing at the same thing without needing to explain why.
At 17, my eyes are completely open to how friendships are actually formed. It’s not one big moment. It’s a handshake in the pits. It’s a card game that runs too long. It’s the small things that stack up without you noticing, until one day you realize the people across the start line have become people you don’t want to say goodbye to.
When the final day came, it was hard to find the words. We just shook hands and said until next time.
I’m so grateful for them taking me on as one of their own. Racing has given me a lot, but what matters most to me are the relationships I build off the track.
Follow along on TikTok and Instagram at @160racer.
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