Even a broken tyre can’t stop her
The Anglo-Celt Community & Sports Awards, in partnership with Mannok and Kingspan, will take place this evening in the Cavan Crystal Hotel. Ava Baker is a finalist for Young Sports Star of the Year...
Just turned 14, Ava Baker from Butlersbridge has been cycling for the past four years. She began road racing two years ago with the Breffni Wheelers Cycling Club.
“My dad got me into it, it's just really enjoyable and I get to see my friends,” she says.
Winning Rás na nÓg was one of her “big goals” this year, so she felt “really happy” with her performance throughout the two-day race hosted annually for Ireland’s elite youth riders.
Her parents Rosie and Enda Baker describe her as very driven.
“She has a schedule and she knows what to do and does it,” her mother says.
On Mondays she plays tennis, while Tuesday and Thursday mornings see her at the poolside at 6.30am for swimming with Breffni Swim Club before school. On both evenings, she also hits the gym. On Wednesday Ava has cycling and football training, with Friday consumed by the same activities.
Her Saturdays are spent cycling and to conclude the week on Sunday, she would “probably” have a cycling race or a football match to play. “It's busy, we travel all over the country because there's very few races locally,” her mother Rosie explains.
In April she took part in the first leg of the British Cycling Series. It was her first time racing abroad representing Ireland in the Youth Tour of Scotland. Ava hoped to place in the top ten.
The stages were longer and faster and the peleton consisted of 30 riders - contributing to a crash at the early stage of the first race.
“It was only the next day I realised, my tyre was a bit damaged,” recounts Ava the rush. Overall she came seventh, which she is “proud of”.
Ava is the only girl from Cavan competing in cycling and she hopes her contribution "gets more girls into sports". Her nominee said about Ava: “Her passion and discipline inspire peers and young athletes across multiple disciplines.” The young athlete was”surprised to hear about the nomination, but delighted to be recognised”.
With special thanks to our partners and sponsors in these awards - Mannok, Kingspan, Sherry FitzGerald Declan Woods, Cavan Crystal Hotel, Dovida, Kyte Powertech, CICS Silo Clean and Joe Rowley Windows