A Sherwood Park Olympic cyclist has been recognized by the province as one of Alberta's top athletes.
In late March, the province announced Kelsey Mitchell as the '21 and over Female Athlete of the Year' for the 2022 Alberta Sport Recognition Awards.
Mitchell was born in Sherwood Park and has always had a knack for sports, playing gymnastics, ringette, basketball, and soccer in her youth. She's notable for starting her cycling career at the age of 23, an age much older than her contemporaries.
Despite this, she won the women's spring title at the 2018 Canadian championships. She went on to become a champion in the 2019 Pan American Games and the 2020 Summer Olympics. She is also a five-time Pan American Track Cycling Championships gold medalist.
You may recognize Kelsey from a viral video she posted on her Instagram account back in 2021. The video shows her pranking airport security by walking through a metal detector and, when it beeped at her, reveals she had her gold medal hidden under her shirt.
Mitchell is the second Canadian female cyclist to win an Olympic medal.
The Alberta Sport Recognition Awards honours Albertans who have demonstrated great achievement and contributions to sports. The program started back in 1987.