Children across Canada and the United States, including Strathmore, are competing to be featured in a national sports advertisement.
Throughout July and August, athletes aged seven to 17 are competing in Colossal's Youth Athlete of the Year competition, which includes a chance to appear in a 3BRAND advertisement in Sports Illustrated. Voting for the contestants ends on Thursday (Aug. 7). Along with the title, the winner will receive $25,000.
Three Strathmore athletes, Harlyn Ford, Makelti Brown, and Colby Phinney, are currently in the running.
A key requirement of the competition is a significant sports achievement.
For eight-year-old Ford, this includes scoring 152 goals in ringette during one season and earning the Heart and Hustle title five times in one lacrosse season. Known for her energy, she also rides dirt bikes, plays golf, and is planning to complete a 5K run to support cancer research.
Phinney competes on the Strathmore Reds U13 AA team. In a recent provincial tournament, he pitched an immaculate inning, striking out all three batters on just nine pitches.
Brown has an impressive list of accomplishments of her own, excelling in multiple sports while managing epilepsy, type 1 diabetes, ADHD, and Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia.
Over the past year, she's been competing in multiple team sports, including Siksika Mamiiksi (U13 boys' hockey), Siksika Buffalo (U15 girls' treaty hockey), Rockyford Ringer (U14 ringette), Medicine Hat Shark (U13 house softball), Medicine Hat Thunder White (U13 rep travel softball), SKA fastball (U15 AIG softball), and Siksika volleyball (U13 and U14 AIG volleyball).
Brown's future goal is to play college-level fastball.
Winners are determined through a donation-based voting system. The child with the most votes moves on in the competition.
All donations made through the Youth Athlete of the Year contest go directly to DTCare, a registered charity. Proceeds are divided into grants for the Why Not You Foundation and the V Foundation.
Following the voter deadline on Aug. 7, a quarterfinal round will run from Sept 8 to 18.
The final winner is expected to be announced in October.