Courtenay BMX racer bound for worlds

Aleasha Wiebe has been selected to represent Canada in July at the 2017 BMX World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

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

Comox Valley Record