Chorlton's BMX superstar Charlotte Worthington ready to shine after testing path to Paris Olympics

It is perhaps only fitting that a backflip turned Charlotte Worthington’s life upside down.

The trailblazing Mancunian etched her name into folklore in Tokyo three years ago, becoming the first woman in history to complete the trick and doing so on the grandest stage of all.

It made her the first female BMX freestyle Olympic champion and she has her sights set on defending her crown this summer.

But her path to Paris has not been straightforward. Worthington’s status as an overnight sensation led to some tough times as she navigated her new-found fame, including temporarily stepping away from the sport she loves.

Now back on two wheels, Worthington is ready to dazzle once more.

Trampolining and tortillas

Worthington is not one of those Olympians who has had their hearts set on topping the podium from the moment they outgrow nappies.

An active child who ‘tried every sport going’ while growing up in Chorlton, Worthington’s mother Sarah credited trampolining sessions in Trafford with providing the basis for her achievements.

“From age four-and-a-half, she did that a couple of nights a week, doing all the upside down front-flip stuff and I think it all helped with the balance,” she said following her daughter’s Olympic triumph.

Worthington, who broke her bed as a youngster through jumping on it too much, soon discovered sport on wheels.

“The first time I tried using a stunt scooter at a skatepark, I stood at the edge of a ramp for about 15 minutes, absolutely petrified to go down,” she told Women’s Fitness in 2023.

“But then I did it, got the adrenaline rush and the gratification, and that’s what hooked me on scooters.”

Even after being given a bike for her 15th birthday, scooters remained the number one priority and she