At least two young Niverville residents are participating in this year’s Youth Athlete of the Year competition—and they need your support.

Competitors include nine-year-old Finley Rideout and 12-year-old Savanah Buzan.

The Youth Athlete of the Year competition is an annual online event created by professional athlete Russell Wilson and his clothing company 3BRAND, in partnership with Sports Illustrated.

The winner of the Canada-wide competition will be featured in a 3BRAND ad in an upcoming edition of Sports Illustrated. As well, they’ll walk away with $25,000 in prize winnings.

Finley Rideout

Finley Rideout has been playing ringette with Red River Rage for the last three years.

According to her mother Mel, Finley loves the game, her teammates, and her coaches. She lives for sports camp where she can learn new skills and meet new people.

To Finley, the rink is like home.

“When she did tryouts few years back, she was the least dressed with equipment and just wearing leggings, skates, gloves, helmet, and a sweater,” says Mel. “She was the slowest skater and least skilled about the sport… She’s now an amazing skater and ringette player. She turned 180 degrees and I never thought she would get there that fast.”

It was Mel who first spotted an ad for the competition on social media. She wasted no time entering her two daughters, the older one 12 and equally enthusiastic about sports.

Only Finley was selected this time around. According to Mel, Finley’s in competition with about 47 other kids across the country in her category.

Online voting for the country’s favourite athlete began on July 28. Already Finley is in third place.

“Every day, once a day, a person can vote [for a competitor] and it’s free,” Rideout says. “Or you can buy votes.”

Entrants are encouraged to share their online bios and solicit votes. Funds raised through the campaign will benefit two organizations: V Foundation (Victory over Cancer) and Wilson’s own Why Not You foundation, dedicated to fighting poverty through education.

The first stage of the competition will end on August 7 when the entrants will be whittled down to the top 20 based on their votes.

Mel is hopeful that Niverville and area residents will do their part and vote for the local candidates in the coming days.

As for Finley, Mel says she’s a special kid who really lights up any room she’s in. If she wins the cash prize, Mel’s pretty sure she knows what Finley will do with it.

“She has a big heart,” Mel says. “She’d probably donate to the homeless. If she sees them on the street, she’s that person who always wants to give them food.”

Savanah Buzan

Twelve-year-old Savanah was entered into the competition by her mom Nicole.

Savanah has been playing ringette with Red River Rage for about five years. Last year, she also joined the Eastman Raiders out of Steinbach for some tackle football.

Savanah was the only girl playing on the football team last year, yet her mom says she wasn’t fazed by that. This year there is one other girl in the team’s lineup.

According to Savanah’s bio, she eats, lives, and breathes sports. Two of her sports heroes include Brady Oliveria and Conner Hellebuyck.

“In Savanah’s athletic journey, the proudest moments are watching her get out there and just enjoy playing,” says Nicole. “She has such great determination and gives it her all every day at practice and games. As a mom sitting in the stands or on the sidelines, I’m so very proud of how far she has come… She battles and never gives up.”

Nicole says that Savanah’s competitive spirit is showing in this online competition as well. If Savanah wins, the funds will be helpful in expanding her sporting opportunities.

“She’ll put it towards going higher up to AA for ringette, for registration and travel and whatnot,” Nicole says. “She did have an opportunity last year with Football Manitoba to go down to the States to play on a team. But of course money is tight.”

She’s got a charitable streak as well. Nicole says that Savanah has also demonstrated a desire to donate some of the proceeds back to her local teams for the purchase of equipment or to help other kids play the game.