Maple Ridge cyclist Maggie Coles-Lyster has just been awarded the B.C. Female Junior Athlete of the Year by Sport B.C.
Now she heads to Milton, Ont. from March 30 to April 2 for the Canadian Junior Track Championships, where she was a six-time national champion in 2016.
Coles-Lyster made the awards final list and attended the Sport B.C. awards banquet at the Fairmont Waterfront Center in Vancouver where she received her award.
She competes at the international level, and in 2016 she attended three world championships in three cycling disciplines, winning a bronze medal in the omnium at the World Junior Track Championships in Aigle, Switzerland. She also set three Canadian track records along the way.
This isn’t the first-time Coles-Lyster has been selected as a finalist for the provincial honour. Back in 2015 she attended the event as a finalist, but did not take home the top prize.
She shared the stage with numerous B.C. sports stars at the event, including Burnaby’s soccer star Christine Sinclair, who won the Best of B.C. award.
For 2017, Coles-Lyster plans to return to the junior world championship stage in both road and track cycling with her sights set on a gold medal. She has also signed a contract with a Belgian-based road racing team where she will spend a large portion of her time racing this year.
She leaves for Belgium right after the Canadian Junior Track Championships, and will compete in a Nations Cup road race in the Netherlands from April 4-8.
“The 2017 Athlete of the Year awards recognize B.C.’s best athletes. We should all be inspired by the dedication, commitment and perseverance that has led to their success in sport,” said Peter Fassbender, the Minister of sport.
“Many of these athletes have competed provincially, nationally and internationally while others are just beginning their careers. They are all a testament to our province, to our sport organizations and the many people who support them. Congratulations to the 2017 award recipients.”