September 22, 2004 – 16-year-old cycling sensation Emily Batty has received
a special provision from the Ontario Cycling Association (OCA) to compete
as a Senior Elite (Pro) at this weekends’ Provincial Mountain Bike
Championships. Hailing from Brooklin Ontario, Emily will be vying for a
podium finish and racing against the province’s best women mountain bikers
at Hardwood Hills Mountain Bike Resort.

Emily’s coach, Steve Neal, has stated “The results Emily has been
getting this season are coming from the combination of her amazing natural
talent and her excellent ability to race with experience beyond her
years.” Typically, the best cyclists in the world mature in their mid 20’s
and early 30’s . If the 16-year-old Ms. Batty stays focussed in the years to
come, she should be something extra-special to see in a few years.

The women’s Elite Cross Country Mountain bike race starts at 1pm