When Lucy Garner won one of the top awards at the 2011 Leicester Mercury Sports Awards, it was hard to imagine her improving on the success of the previous 12 months.
After all, the Mercury's Young Sportswoman of the Year captured titles at World, Commonwealth and British level in her first year as a junior.
Incredibly, the 18-year-old bettered that in 2012 and a first professional contract was proof of just how highly sought-after her talents had become.
She won a second world junior road race title leaving her rivals gasping with a blistering sprint finish in Valkenburg, Holland, just a day after her 18th birthday.
That was the crowning glory in a season which saw her claim nine major titles on road and track, including the European and British junior road championships and a trio of gold medals from senior events.
Lucy made no secret of the fact her ambitions lay on the Continent's roads once she joined the senior ranks and, within a month of her world triumph, she had been snapped up by the Netherlands-based Argos-Shimano squad.
Through all the triumphs, the Cosby girl who began her racing days with Leicestershire Road Club has remained refreshingly modest, heaping praise on her team-mates.
The course in Limburg, which featured a series of taxing climbs, did not favour her sprinting abilities. But Lucy's preparation and the tactical strength of her GB colleagues set up a memorable win.
"We knew Elinor Barker was going well because she had won the time-trial championship a couple of days before," she said. "For Emily Kay, Jessie Walker and Molly Weaver, it was their first time at the world championships so they wanted to perform the best they could. They did it, as well. I just finished off the work they did.
"I was so happy to have won it, but with the pressure I put on myself to defend the title it was also a relief."
That rounded off a "Grand Slam" of road titles with Lucy having won both the European and British junior crowns earlier in the season. "The National championship stands out, too," she said. "That was a difficult course in Wales."
That triumph in May set the tone for a season that would lead to Lucy donning the coveted rainbow stripes for a second time.
There are 14 categories in the sports awards: sportsman, sportswoman, manager/coach, team, under-19 team, club, young sportsman, young sportswoman, junior sportsman (14 and under), junior sportswoman, community, Active4Life, lifetime achievement and the Neville Hamilton Award.
To nominate, complete the form opposite, or go to:
www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk
