YORKTON - Ayva Delaney from Grayson, Sask. won a bronze medal in the Women’s Wheelchair 100-metre event that took place at Canada Games Park.
“I was very relieved. I was excited and very proud I was here and got it (the bronze),” she told Yorkton This Week.
Delaney said she went into the race, confident, but with some butterflies too.
“I was a little bit nervous, but I thought that I could (win a medal). I told myself I could,” said the 15-year-old competitor.
Delaney has only been competing for three years, but it has proven a successful time as she was also a part of Team Sask for the Western Canada Summer Games in 2019.
While competing at a top level rather quickly, Delaney said training has not always been easy through the upheavals of COVID.
“It was tough through the COVID years,” she said.
Juggling training and schooling is challenging too.
“It’s a little hard, but you make it work,” said Delaney.
With the recent podium finish at the Canada Games Delaney said she will now focus on topping that performance next time, while adding there are always dreams of an Olympic spot one day.
Delaney competes on the Cyclones Track and Field Club in Regina