This year begins with an amazing surprise for Trinity Western University’s alum Regan Yee: she is nominated for B.C. University Athlete of the Year by Sport BC.
“It’s a huge honour,” says Yee. “When I looked at who else was nominated and saw their accomplishments, I was surprised to be in their company."
Yee made a name for herself at TWU and on the national sports scene and over the last five years. In March 2018 she became the most individually decorated track and field athlete in the Spartans’ history when she won gold in the 1500m at the USPORTS championships, a victory that took her to five national medals.
Last July she won the silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase, her favourite discipline, at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa. Her finishing time was a few fractions of a second behind Canadian record holder Genevieve Lalonde.
Although the education major from South Hazelton, B.C., is one practicum away from finishing her degree and becoming a high school teacher, right now she has her sights set on the 2020 Olympics.
The middle-distance runner continues to train and compete with the goal of qualifying for the national team to represent Canada in Tokyo, Japan at the summer Olympics.
In the meantime, Yee is competing at the University of Washington Invitational Meet in Seattle on February 15 and has the Sport BC Athlete of the Year awards ceremony and gala dinner on March 13 in Vancouver.
Sport BC’s Athlete of the Year awards recognize BC’s best athletes, coaches, and officials in amateur sport for outstanding performances in their sport over the 2018 season.
As Yee prepares for an Olympic debut, she has some advice for aspiring youth athletes: “Do all the sports you can. Don’t be afraid to branch out and try something new, and always make sure you are having fun with it.”