Bowen Island resident, Lenya Dowler, 18 years-old, has been selected for the Zone 5 Equestrian Team for the BC Summer Games in Prince George, July 21 to 24.
Lenya will compete in the sport of equestrian vaulting, which is gymnastics and dance on a moving horse. Vaulters compete first in a series of compulsory moves followed by a freestyle performance set to music.
Lenya has been vaulting since she was 11 years of age and is part of the Triple M Vaulters in Langley, BC. Lenya trained for and declared for the 2020 BC Summer Games but once it was cancelled due to COVID 19, Lenya had to reassess and come up with a new training plan for 2022.
While there were no in-person competitions in 2020, Lenya competed in multiple video competitions. She returned to compete in person at the 2021 BC Provincial and National Vaulting Championships.
“Lenya is a very dedicated and hard working vaulter,” says coach Marijean Maher. “She has trained very hard to reach the canter C level for the BC Summer Games.”
Lenya is also known in her club as an athlete that shows incredible sportsmanship and team spirit, always encouraging and pushing her teammates to improve.
Lenya says “Vaulting has boosted my confidence and work ethic and given me new challenges to work towards.”
“Going to the games means I have reached a point in my vaulting where I can inspire the younger vaulters at my club, like I was inspired by those before me,” says Dowler.
Lenya will go to university in Alberta in the fall to pursue a career in veterinarian medicine.
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