After a spring and summer of jet-setting and competing against some of the best BMX racers in the world, Airdrie's Abygale Reeve capped off her 2022 season in a way she has become accustomed to over the last decade – by winning the Alberta title.
Reeve secured her 10th consecutive provincial championship on Sept. 11, during the 2022 Alberta BMX provincial championships in Stony Plain. Remarkably, the Airdrie teen has won the provincial title for her age group in every year she's competed in the sport.
“Every race is a new race, and I just went all effort and was fortunate to grab the 10th one,” she said. “I’m excited because 10 is a lot. I’ve won it every year since I started, so that’s a huge thing for me.”
The 16-year-old has enjoyed a whirlwind 2022 season. After successfully making Canada's national BMX team in the spring, Reeve had the opportunity to race twice in Europe this year, including at the European championships in Papendal, Netherlands in May and June, and the BMX world championships in Nantes, France in July and August.
“I got to experience what it’s like to race against world class girls, and it was a very good trip for experience,” Reeve said. “From there, I got to ride for Team Canada at the worlds in Nantes, France, against girls my age and that was another good experience.
“The girls in Europe and at the world stage are very fast, so [the goal was] learning how they ride and how I can improve, so the next time I go to the world stage, I can compete with them. I think that was the main thing – getting that experience, training with the best athletes in the world.”
After those European competitions, Reeve returned home to Alberta, where she concluded her season by racing at the national BMX championships in Calgary and the Alberta provincial championships.
Adding to her hectic competition schedule this summer, Reeve said she enjoyed her first taste of coaching in 2022, as a volunteer with Cochrane BMX.
“It was very fun and all the girls were really awesome,” she said. “I’d like to keep doing that in the future and maybe [impart] some of my wisdom in BMX.”
While she's been home-schooling for the last two years to accommodate her burgeoning BMX career, Reeve said she's back at Bert Church High School this fall for her Grade 12 year. She added the sense of normalcy has been positive after two years of constantly being on the move.
“It’s a bit weird at times, because I’ve gone from doing online school and being independent and training all the time to actually having a schedule and having the responsibility of going to school,” she said. “It’s good for me because I needed some normalcy in my life. It’s going to benefit me.”
The 16-year-old added her priorities for the off-season are to improve her strength and conditioning so she will be at her best for the 2023 season next spring.
