When Sophi Lawrence attended her first B.C. Cup event on June 26, 2022 on home turf, she wasn't the athlete she is today. In fact, she wanted nothing to do at all with downhill mountain bike racing.
"I was very determined not to do it. I was like: 'nope, I have no interest in downhill,'" Lawrence remembered.
At that point, the Whistlerite had just followed her friend Mhairi Smart onto the Instinct Development roster. Their coaches, Ash Jones and Andrew Brooks, understood Lawrence's hesitation…but then she began to reconsider. Lap after lap training on the B.C. Cup track eventually convinced her to join Smart and the rest of their teammates in the start gate.
Lawrence laid her bike down and finished sixth. She wasn't pleased with that outcome, but found herself enjoying the overall experience. That winter, Lawrence and Smart hit the gym together for four days a week, and their training began to pay dividends.
In 2023, Lawrence put herself on the map by locking down overall titles in both the Canada Cup and B.C. Cup tours. Yet it was her runner-up effort at Nationals that delivered her onto the global stage.
"I didn't pay much attention to the World Cup circuit or World Champs or anything," she admitted. "Then I got this email that said; 'you've been invited to the 2023 UCI Downhill World Championships' and I was like, oh my God."
After competing in Fort William, Scotland, Lawrence thought she would never have another such experience. Nonetheless, she'll be joining fellow locals Megan Bedard and Rebecca Beaton overseas as this year's Worlds take place from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 in Pal Arinsal, Andorra.
Making it down
Lawrence's time in Fort William has prepared her for the task at hand.
She had to reschedule a family vacation in Greece last August to participate. Cycling Canada fortunately had her back with an initiative called "The Project", which sends junior athletes to World Champs each year with coaching and mechanical support. Lawrence shared accommodation with four other junior girls (Joy Attalla, Kate Mackenzie, Kayley Sherlock and Sophia Ervington) and ended up leading them all with a 14th-place result.
"I was having a lot of fun, but I was also super nervous the whole time because Worlds tracks are definitely a step up from Canada Cup tracks," Lawrence remembered. "I was just focused on making it down and putting down a clean run. By the time I left [Scotland], I didn't feel like I'd put everything that I had into those runs."
Hungry for more top-level action, Lawrence entered the World Cup stop in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que. She wound up ninth as the only Canadian girl in her age bracket to make the finish line.
Cycling Canada's junior-focused Project does not normally extend to athletes who turn 18, but Lawrence made it in due to the last-minute withdrawal of another rider. She's good friends with Bedard and Beaton, and eagerly awaits the chance to race in Andorra with them.
Fast friends
Fellowship is the main reason why Lawrence still competes.
She was one of only five Instinct Development girls in 2022, but now there are at least 14 young ladies on her team. Lawrence happily plays the role of elder stateswoman among them and is always keen to help in any way possible.
"The younger girls I train with, and others in the community are extremely inspiring to be around," she said. "It is very common for U17 or even U15 girls to have the fastest women's times at Canada Cups, easily going faster than the pro and junior women's categories. It's so awesome to see girls getting into downhill younger and having some really great results."
Lawrence has spent plenty of time training with boys, and while she appreciates them for setting a high benchmark, she also cherishes the opportunity to practice with girls who are closer to her overall fitness level. Her peers have helped her love of downhill riding grow over time as they continue to spur one another on.
Pal Arinsal awaits, but Lawrence hopes not to be overwhelmed by the moment.
"It'll be a great time with all my friends," she said. "I want to chill out a little bit, focus on riding my bike to the best of my ability and not be so worried about everything else that's going on."
Check out Team Canada in its entirety here.
