Louise Yaxley to be Tassie Carnivals ambassador

The Sports Carnivals Association of Tasmania (SCAT) has appointed Tasmanian cyclist Louise Yaxley as its Ambassador for the 2005-6 Christmas carnivals.

Yaxley was one of five Australia Institute of Sport riders seriously injured when a car hit their training group in Germany in July, killing AIS rider Amy Gillett. Yaxley and her team-mates Katie Brown, Kate Nicholls, Lorian Graham and Alexis Rhodes have all expressed their determination to return to cycling and have spent the last several months in intense rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

"The Association sees Louise as a person who is greatly admired for her cycling ability and one who is determined to recover from the tragic event of the accident in Germany," said SCAT chairman Grant Atkins. "Last Christmas Carnival series Louise put in some outstanding performances in the women's events in which she gained the respect and support of the Tasmanian crowds.

"We believe Louise is very worth of being our inaugural Ambassador and as such she will be promoting the Carnivals and assisting with presentation and interviews."

Yaxley was in good spirits at the recent Cycling Australia awards and last week told Australia's The Age newspaper, ""I think I will be able to get on a bike. But I don't know at what level. I'll try and get back to where I was, at that elite level, and I'll give it two to three years, but if I can't, I'll move on."

Yaxley is very supportive of the Amy Gillett Foundation which has been established with the aims of providing support for the rehabilitation of Amy's injured team mates; funding and administering a scholarship program for young women cyclists; and supporting and promoting projects aimed at road safety awareness amongst cyclists and motorists.

While the details are yet to be worked out, Atkins said SCAT would find a way to assist the Foundation.

For more information see the SCAT website.