Madam Speaker, on a more positive note, I am honoured to rise today to commend the perseverance of Éliane Blais, a young athlete from my riding, Les Pays-d'en-Haut. At just 16 years old, she is already a four-time Canadian U17 mountain bike champion, all while continuing her studies.
After a serious accident, surgery and rehabilitation, she joined the U19 junior category last fall and won two medals at the Canada Games. On May 2, she finished ninth in the Olympic Junior series in the Czech Republic, and on May 31, in Sherbrooke, she won a bronze medal at the Canada Cup.
Éliane Blais is a true source of inspiration for all young people in Canada. She has big ambitions. Although she is the youngest rider on the circuit, she is aiming for a spot in the top eight in the junior downhill category at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Italy this summer. That kind of passion is exactly why we are investing $755 million in our young athletes.
I would like to congratulate Éliane and thank her for representing Les Pays-d'en-Haut and Canada so well on the international stage.