Victoria Rower Wins First Team BC Athlete Excellence Award
Winnipeg – Team BC has given Piper Battersby its first Athlete Excellence Award. The new award honours two outstanding Team BC athletes at every Canada Games with a $2,500 bursary.
In addition to competing at a high level in rowing, Battersby is a Global Vision International volunteer. She travelled to India as part of a project to renovate a playground at a primary school. She also donates countless of fundraising hours for humanitarian aid projects and volunteers in local regattas by organizing and maintaining equipment.
“At each regatta, I become more determined to race my hardest,” said Battersby. “I also plan on continuing my leadership and involvement in improving standards of live worldwide.”
Battersby will start a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Victoria next year with a focus on wildlife biology. “Although I am notorious for taking on such a number of activities that stretch the limit of what I am physically able to do, I believe the balance to my life that these areas provide, as well as high academic achievement, will allow me to fulfill these aspirations.”
Team BC presented Battersby with the award as the 2017 Canada Games started in Winnipeg today. She competes in rowing eight with coxswain.
A second BC athlete will receive an award at the start of week two of the Games.
Funding for these awards comes from the BC Games Society’s Powering Potential Fund.
Athletes are evaluated on their leadership and volunteer contributions, pre-games sport performances and education achievement.
About Team BC
Team BC’s delegation of 455 athletes, coaches, managers, technical support and mission staff will represent British Columbia at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg. Team BC athletes are the best young developing talent in this province and are our future national and international champions. Visit www.teambc.org for the latest news and updates.
About the Canada Games
The Canada Games are a national multi-sport competition with participation from every province and territory in Canada. The Games are held every two years, alternating between winter and summer. The 2017 Canada Summer Games will be held July 28 to August 13 in Winnipeg, bringing together approximately 4,000 athletes, coaches, and managers from every province and territory to compete in 16 sports. The Canada Games will celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2017 coinciding with Canada 150. Visit www.canadagames.ca.