April 23, 2013 – Victoria, BC – What’s attracting a local straight-A student, community volunteer and soon to be Oak Bay High School graduate to Los Angeles ? A chance to represent Canada at the 2013 Junior Pan American Track Cycling Championships.

Victoria’s Brenna Pauly, who was introduced to bike racing at School Bike League events, was the 2011 Provincial Road Champion. When the West Shore Velodrome re-opened that year, like Victoria’s Olympian Gillian Carleton, Brenna took to the track for road training purposes and became an instant fan of track cycling. That summer, she took home a silver medal from the Provincial Track Championships.

Coached by Lister Farrar, she receives training support from the Tripleshot Cycling Club and benefits from Cycling BC’s new junior women’s team program under provincial coach Jeff Ain. In addition to this weekend’s Pan Am Championships trials at Canada’s track cycling training facility in L.A., Brenna has been working to qualify for selection to BC’s road team to the 2013 Canada Summer Games.

“Brenna is a very determined and dedicated rider and open to many opportunities in the cycling world,” says Farrar. “She has benefitted from a generous Victoria cycling community including former Olympic coach Kurt Innes in the FastTrack velodrome program for new youth riders, Houshang Amiri (Pacific Cycling Centre), a former national cycling coach who offers high performance training sessions to junior racers, and the numerous races offered throughout the season organized by Vancouver Island’s many cycling clubs.”

Brenna is an active member of City of Victoria Youth Council and has helped to organize a number of events including a recent All Candidates Forum on environmental and youth issues. In cycling, she takes part in high school team rides to encourage newer riders, and volunteers in the School Bike League events and at Tripleshot’s women’s learn to race clinic. Cycling is a family affair as her Dad Jim and younger brother Ethan ride with Tripleshot, and her Mum Bernie joins family bike excursions.

“Brenna joined TripleShot Cycling Club when the school program wound down for the summer. Her commitment and that of her Oak Bay teammate Adam de Vos (now a U23 National Team member) sparked the club to support young cyclists. At first the club accommodated the young riders on their early morning rides by waiting after hills and participating in race simulation drills. The club then started allocating cash revenues, now 50% of the club budget. Last year, Tripleshot received BC gaming funding to support coaching of all its member groups, including masters, para-cyclists, women, an elementary school club model, and the U13-U19 junior racers.”

The 2013 Junior Pan American Track Cycling Championships will be held in the Dominican Republic from July 15 – 21. The Canada Sumer Games will be held in Sherbrooke, Que., from August 2-17.

Photo left to right: Houshang Amiri, Kurt Innes, Brenna Pauly, Lister Farrar