She may have missed out on the SportsAid One-to-Watch award, but Beth Shriever is determined to make a success of her BMX career as she makes the step into elite competition.

Shriever finished second having gone to the SportsAid Sportsball as one of the final three shortlisted athletes, whittled down from the 1,000 that SportsAid support as a charity each year.

The 18-year-old from Braintree was crowned junior BMX world champion earlier this year, but lost out to Holly Dunford, who was recognised for her junior rowing world title and British record setting exploits.

Shriever, though, was just honoured to have made the shortlist, and is looking forward to stepping up to the senior ranks in 2018.

“It’s quite surreal to be at the ball,” she said. “Just to make the top ten was quite an achievement in itself, so to make the top three is unbelievable and I’m extremely grateful for the recognition.

“If I’d have won it would have meant so much, but I didn’t mind what happened because to just get this far is amazing.

“Next year is my first year in the elite level, so it’s mainly going to be experience for me, but it would be good to make a few podiums and finals in that year - but I’ll just see what happens.”

Shriever, who has benefited from being funded by Nelsons throughout 2017 - an association that was facilitated through British Cycling’s nomination of her as a talented athlete to the SportsAid charity - also added the British National BMX title and five rounds of the European Cup to her world victory this year.

And she even made a brief step up to elite level on the world stage, registering a sixth place in the final of the Papendel World Cup.

Shriever is quick to acknowledge the impact of her funding this year, and is already targeting success at Olympic level - whether that be in 2020, or 2024.

“The SportsAid money helps a lot. If something goes wrong or if other sponsors can’t fund me in certain areas then it helps to replace that money,” she added.

“With equipment, for example, if I break something - which happens - I can replace it, and it helps.

“I’m building up to Tokyo in 2020. I’ll be 21 by that point so I’ll be wanting to be making podiums at all the World Cups and World Championships - but even so, the first Olympics are always about getting experience.

“I’m just going to take each step as it comes, try my hardest at every single race and see what happens.

“The desire and motivation comes from myself. I want to make something of myself and put myself out there for not only the sport, but for me too.

“To bring back those results means a lot to me, my family, my friends and the sport in general.

I want to get BMX out there more and getting these results helps a lot with that.”

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