After winning the 300cc series in Australia last year by a comfortable margin, the 16-year-old has been invited to compete with the Kawasaki Italy team in the European World Super Bike Series. 

“There are a few nerves, but I’m also really excited and pretty pumped to start the season,” he says before boarding the plane.

A few last-minute catch ups were top of the list before jet-setting overseas to compete on the world stage. 

“It’s been tricky with trying to see the whole family before I go away,” Reid said. “I had a farewell party with my family and friends, which was incredible, but it was a very hard thing to say goodbye for the rest of the year.”

The hardest goodbye could be with Mum, Renee Antonio, but she said Reid was born to race and was incredibly proud to support her son’s passion. 

“It's his dream - as hard as it will be to let him go, we want to encourage that and let it happen,” she said. 

“We're just embracing his dream to see where it can take him.”

Reid said he was close with his family and was glad they backed his decision.

“I am forever grateful to my family and friends for fully understanding why i am leaving to go away to race,” Reid said. 

“I have wanted this since i was a young kid – cutting laps around the backyard of our house on a little 50,” he adds with a laugh. 

It won’t just be missing family and friends, but it will also be a strange new world for the Bermagui youngster, who will have to get to grips with a new bike and learn the European circuits as he goes. 

“I will have to learn a lot this year riding in the World Championship, but I will always have the mindset of winning,” he said. “I want to be number one.

“If I could crack the top 10 would be great, but I’ll always push for more.”

The latest honour for the young gun was sharing honours as the Bega Valley junior sports person of the year, he was named joint winner alongside Australian rugby representative Millie Boyle of Cobargo. 

“I felt incredibly proud to be recognised for my efforts in my riding career,” Reid said. “It was an absolute honour.”

It hasn’t all been an easy road with extensive costs involved in being able to sign the contract for the season. 

However, some fundraising efforts and private donations helped the family sign the contract and Reid said he couldn’t thank the Far South Coast enough for getting behind him and helping make this dream a reality. 

Neil Dawson and Steeline Pambula have also come on board as a private sponsor to help ease the transition. 

“I thought it was just a good story, the young local guy taking on the world stage,” Mr Dawson said of the move. 

“We wish him well and the success, we think he’ll do the area proud.”

Reid said he couldn’t keep racing without the help he’s received. 

“For someone like Neil at Steeline to jump on board and help me out financially has really been a massive help,” he said. 

The European team have assured the family that Reid will be speaking Italian fluently “within a month”, but the Bermagui youngster joked he knew enough for day one. 

“I know a few valuable words, like how to order a coffee,” he laughs.