Meet CK Flash the DJ who discovered BMX star and Scholar Quillan Isidore in Peckham

Peckham in south east London has had a reputation for producing notorious gangs (along with England captain Rio Ferdinand), but its image is changing and a BMX club has been right at the heart of its transformation.

Quillan Isidore, 2012 World U16 champion and rising star at British Cycling, is a product of this incredible talent factory, thanks largely to DJ CK Flash, formerly Michael Pusey and now an MBE, who founded the club and continues to nurture some of the country's top BMX riders.

With Quillan competing in the British Championships in Derby this weekend, CK Flash reveals an insight to the birth of Peckham BMX Club, why it's such a breeding ground for cyclists and why the Sky Academy Sports Scholar can become the world's best.

Quillan says: "Without CK Flash, I wouldn't be the athlete I am or even be in this position.

"He got the ball rolling for me, giving me the right tools to be successful - discipline, determination, mental edge over my competitors. He's done heaps for not only me, but the club and the sport."

Here are the thoughts of CK Flash....

HOW DID THE CLUB START?

I raced BMX from the age of 12 but the sport still wasn't in the Olympics so I had to do something else because it wasn't financially viable. I became a drive time DJ on Choice FM and I went on to help artists Dizzee Rascal and Lethal Bizzle.

In 2004, someone rung me up on the radio asking if I could help young people in south London. I don't think they realised I'd stick with them! I set up a BMX programme teaching things like nutrition, training and sacrifices.

Some of the parents wanted to give up, but I had a vision and especially for kids like Quillan, who I saw had a real talent. I trained them up and won many titles, national titles, with Quillan becoming world champion at 16.

We also made a movie about the journey of Quillan and Tre Whyte called 1 Way Up which won an award. All I do is make sure the kids have a structure to support them in home life as well as training. Their behaviour at home and school is crucial to what we do.

Our track was tiny so I went to the council and it took me seven years to raise the money. We opened the track in 2013 and now we've got more champions coming through - it's like a conveyor belt. Quillan is on the way up and there are plenty of others behind him. We focus on winning and what we have to do to win races.

WHAT IS YOUR COACHING STYLE?

Quillan told me last year his mum used me as guidance. He used to get up to mischief and his mum would warn him she was going to tell CK if he stepped out of line.

He would say: "Please don't tell him!" I kept him on the track and off the streets. It's all about attitude ahead of the sport. If they are out of control and don't care then you can't produce a champion. That echoes right through what we do and it hasn't failed us yet.

We keep on top of them and help them learn until they realise they won't get away with it and they straighten themselves up. It's also with the parents. Many don't understand what it takes to build an athlete and champion.

The riders develop 90 per cent with us and we keep reminding them about things like lights out in the evening, consistent training and preparing the night before a race so when you wake up your head is clear and you know what direction you're heading.

Quillan went to British Cycling three years ago but I still talk to him and fellow rider Tre Whyte loads. He realises what I tell him is the truth - there's no sugar-coating with me. Sometimes they need to come home and hear the truth from someone like me! 

But this is not a normal BMX club - it's an institution for athletes based on good behaviour. If there's bad conduct or they're not performing well then we tell them. We know the formula.

If I see them on Facebook doing something they shouldn't then I tell them that's why they're not performing. They need to be monitored. You can get complacent but you need the right people telling the truth and the message needs to be right or they can lose their way.

WHAT MAKES QUILLAN SPECIAL?

You can see he's got a good home background - he's stable - and his mum was very supportive. You can tell he was very focused. He would always turn up on time for training and he was very dedicated.

When he gets on the start gate, as long as he has the right people talking to him, he's capable of winning the world championships and Olympic title. He can go very far in life. Being a Sky Scholar has really helped him and if he carries on the way he has then he can be one of GB's top riders.

Sometimes it's about listening to your coach and he was very receptive to what we told him. He had that rawness about him. When he won his national title, his bike was falling to bits and we kept it together.

He's got a great way of applying himself to training as well. He's not a quitter. He's somebody who would do anything to be No 1. If that means getting up at 5 or training before going to bed then he would. Whatever it took, he'd do it.

He rode with me for six years and we hope he's learned a lot from the Scholarship scheme and you can see he's also turning into a businessman. The endorsement deals will only come if he's producing on the track and he'll need to continue what he's doing.

WHAT'S THE FUTURE AT PECKHAM?

It's like a mini Olympic programme now. We've just built our own gym at the track. They used to travel up to four miles to work on the weights. It's now a full programme and we're training kids aged 3-4.

We've even got a five-year-old girl who's become British champion within a year of joining us and she's now Europe's No 2.

I'm very protective of what we do and our mission - firstly we are in Peckham and that's important and secondly we are winners. That's what it comes down to.

It's better now but there's been gang warfare in the area and people ask: "How can Peckham with kids who knew nothing about cycling produce the fastest cyclists in the country?"  

That's where Quillan came from. He came to us in the first year and he became national No 1, British and world champion. And now he's gone on to be with British Cycling and part of the Sky Scholarships.  

Quillan is good though and I talk to him lots and I wish him all the best for the future.

WHAT'S COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS...

AUG 27-28: Quillan Isidore, British Championships, Derby

SEPT 6: Mark English, Roberto, Italy 

SEPT 7-18: Olivia Breen, Rio Paralympics

SEPT 10: Mark English, Great North City Games