Aleasha Wiebe has been selected to represent Canada in July at the 2017 BMX World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
The 20-year-old Courtenay resident qualified for the competition by winning a pair of 17-and-over women’s races last August at the Canadian national championships in Calgary.
She will compete in the amateur category in Rock Hill.
In the last two years, Wiebe has a pair of top-10 finishes in the U.S. national series, which has taken her to Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and a few spots in Washington, Oregon and California.
In 2014, she competed at the world championships in Rotterdam, Holland, placing in the top 14. She made quarter-final mains on her 20-inch bike and semi-final mains on her cruiser.
Along with training five to six days a week, Wiebe attends North Island College and works full-time at Home Depot.
A big part of her training involves weightlifting.
“You’ve really got to be in shape to be a BMX racer,” said the 2015 Vanier graduate.
Wiebe isn’t the only Comox Valley BMX competitor bound for South Carolina. Fourteen-year-old Adicus Bird — whom Wiebe has trained — also qualified by winning her category last year at nationals.
Shelter Point Distillery is hosting a fundraiser on Wiebe’s behalf on Saturday, April 29.
The event will include a whisky master class, a silent auction and farm tours. The event will be catered by Comox Valley Catering.
For tickets, or if interested in sponsoring Wiebe, contact her at aleasha.wiebe@live.ca