Ian Ackert is looking to become the third internationally acclaimed cyclist to win Orillia’s Athlete of the Year Award over the last four years.
Ackert, 19, had an exceptional season in both mountain biking and cyclocross disciplines in 2024.
The Severn Township teen won the 2024 Canadian National Elite Men’s cyclocross title and the Pan American men’s cyclocross championship — impressive feats he also accomplished in 2023.
Ackert also rode to a third-place finish at the World Championship Mountain Bike event in Scotland.
Nathan Brown, who nominated Ackert for the prestigious award, says Ackert has a passion for racing but is also a “born leader.”
“He strives to make the team environment inclusive and shares his confidence and knowledge of the sport with those just starting out,” explained Brown.
“He volunteers on projects that encourage youth to get into the sport and assists with Ontario Cycling and Cycling Canada with their national level programs by sharing his experiences to make the next generation of racers more confident with their abilities,” said Brown.
Ackert also leads training camps throughout Canada and Europe during the "off season" to help young athletes build the base miles required for the race season.
“His love of racing extends into his love of maintenance of the bicycle,” said Brown. “He will stop his training ride to help someone on the side of the road or the side of the race course to share his tools and knowledge to get the rider back up and going.”
During training camps, Ackert is the last to bed and the first up, making sure everyone's bikes are prepared and available for the next training session, Brown explained.
“He brings an international perspective to training camps by getting riders from other nations to ride along and share their space with our fellow Canadian riders,” said Brown.
Ackert is hoping to become the third cyclist to win the Orillia Athlete of the Year Award over the last four years. Last year, Isabella Holmgren won the honour; in 2021, her brother Gunnar Holmgren was selected as the city’s top athlete.
All three have grown up at Hardwood Ski and Bike and have raced in various disciplines all over the globe in recent years, putting Canada on the map in what has traditionally been a sport dominated by Europeans.