SOURCE: ASILVERTOUCH
PHOTO: MICHELLE SANTOS/FRANCOIS LAPLANTE
Anne resting in between wins at Crankworx in Whistler
OTTAWA — Sixteen-year old Anne Laplante, of Gatineau, QC, is relatively new to the world of downhill mountain biking; but she hasn’t let that stop her. Arriving at Camp Fortune in the Gatineau Park last year, she quietly hit the downhill scene as a complete unknown, but within weeks she had everyone stopping and taking notice. A shy teenager, she definitely lets her riding do the talking. With just over a year of downhilling experience she has already placed Top 5 in the Elite Women’s category at a Canada Cup, won the Canadian National Junior Championship, placed third in the Women Worx’s amateur category and has made the Quebec Provincial Team.
After winning this year’s National Championships held at Mount Washington in British Columbia she has been named by the Canadian Cycling Association to the 2007 Canadian National Downhill Team. She will be traveling to Fort Williams, Scotland in early September to race against the best in the world.
A medal hopeful, LaPlante needs to raise almost $5000 to fund her trip in less than a month. Racing for one of the only all-women downhill race teams in Canada, Gravitesse, she and her teammates are working hard to get the money together. Next weekend at Camp Fortune during the Quebec Cup race they will be hosting a BBQ among other things to try and help this young, promising athlete to Scotland.
Donations can be made through the Gravitesse website @ http://www.gravitesse.com
