Lucy Garner has described her honour at being nominated for BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2011.
Garner, 17, has made it to the final three from a shortlist of 10 along with Paralympic swimmer Eleanor Simmonds and golfer Lauren Taylor. The Youth Commonwealth Games road race champion and junior road race world champion has already been crowned the Sunday Times Young Sportswoman of the Year and BBC East Midlands Junior Sportsperson of the Year.
"I can't imagine what it would be like to go to BBC Sports Personality Awards [as a nominee], it’s always been something I've watched on the TV and you just don't picture yourself ever getting there," Garner said.
"I'm up against some very talented athletes and just to be amongst them is really special. I've never really been to award nights but that [BBC East Midlands Awards] was a really good night and I got to meet a lot of great people. Winning the award and having my family there to share it meant such a lot to me. Winning the 'big one' would be a really nice way to end a pretty successful year."
The award would cap a remarkable year for Garner, who is part of the British Cycling Olympic Development Programme. The Motorpoint rider admits that she wasn’t too certain what the year would hold.
“Being part of the British Cycling Olympic Development Programme gave me the opportunity to race abroad both on the road and track. I got selected for the European Track Championships in Portugal and the Women’s Junior Road Race Championships so I was looking to gain as much experience as possible. I didn't know what to expect results wise but I was there to be competitive.
“It's always been one of my dreams to become a world champion but as a first year junior I was only hoping to be competitive and gain some experience at that level.
"It was an amazing feeling and one I will always remember. I blocked everything out as I crossed the line but then all my emotions just hit me - joy, happiness and shock. I couldn't believe I had won after crashing and everything else that had happened in the race.”
Garner has already set her sights on next year’s calendar with the aim of gaining more race experience on the continent.
“I'm hoping to compete in the same races as I have this year, I'll still be a junior. I'm competing at my first six day event in Rotterdam in January which I'm really looking forward to and hopefully the European Road Championships. I would just like to compete as much as I can abroad and get more experience and hopefully a few results along the way.”
You can see whether Lucy Garner wins BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2011 on Thursday 22 December at 8pm on BBC One. You can also follow our campaign to vote Mark Cavendish the Sports Personality of the Year on our #CAV4SPOTY page.
