Award-winning wakesurfer Bailey Rush - who calls Ponoka home - is heading to the World Games this August in China.
"I'm very excited to be able to represent Canada - it's going to be such an incredible experience. Also, to be able to compete against the top athletes in the world while representing our country is an amazing opportunity," she said.
The World Games will be taking place from Aug. 7-17 at Sancha Lake, Cablewake, Chengdu.
Meanwhile, here at home and abroad, the accolades keep coming her way. Earlier this year, she landed the 2024 WSWC Wakesurf Rider of the Year title as well.
It's certainly well-deserved, with 2024 having been an extraordinary year for Rush.
According to a release, "She claimed first place in both Pro Female Surf and Pro Female Skim at the 2024 CWSA World Wakesurfing Championships, and continued to dominate at the 2024 Canadian Nationals, where she took first place in both categories again.
"Her success carried over to the 2024 North American Championship, where she earned first place in the Pro Female Combined category. At the 2024 CWSA Drop 45 Events, Rush continued her winning streak with first place finishes in both Pro Female Surf and Pro Female Skim in Events 3, 4, and 5.
"She capped off the year with a first place finish in Pro Female Combined at the Drop 45 Event 5."
And to top it all off, on the international stage, she took third in Pro Female Surf and second in Pro Female Skim at the 2024 IWWF World Wakesurfing Championships in Hong Kong last November - a key qualifier for the coming worlds showdown.
"My favourite part was travelling with a bunch of other wakesurfers from Canada," she recalled of the Hong Kong experience.
"We ended up coming in fourth place overall in the team category, which is incredible for Canada given our short season with wakesurfing," she said.
"It was really amazing to see all of the other Canadians, and the other wakesurfers compete at such a high level event. It made me smile to see them do that!"
To show just how resilient Rush is, she actually was very ill during part of the Hong Kong stint - but no matter - she toughed it out and came out shining in the end.
"They picked the top riders based on how you did at the IWWF Worlds. My finishing allowed me to be the selected female to represent Canada at the 2025 World Games. Placing first at Canadian Nationals was also part of the criteria," she said.
In the meantime, these are busy days indeed as she's teaching full time at Rimbey Junior/Senior High School, and also working hard to stay in tip-top shape as August quickly approaches.
"I was figure skating for a few months, and when that season stopped, I've been doing a lot of exercising at home, like on the indoor bike which is great for the leg muscles," she explained.
"I've also been busy with coaching online - I have quite a few world-wide students, and that does keep me busy after my teaching in the day! I actually get more energy after I coach. I feel really happy when I can help my students with their goals, and help them to succeed."
And as the temperatures warm, she'll be hitting the lake to practice, too.
Rush's own introduction to wakesurfing came about rather unexpectedly several years back - but she's never looked back from day one.
"My Dad's friend took us out on his surf boat and I got up my very first time then. I absolutely loved it."
That was in 2016, and her skills blossomed. Competitions started up in 2017, and things just took off.
Her journey to where she is today is a remarkable testimony to the wonder of finding one's absolute natural ability and simply following it from there.
"I think that the reason I appreciate the sport so much is because it really is a sport where you have to live in the present," she said.
"Everyone has their own stories. I just think you have to be really resilient to be competing at this level. I also think it's about showing up everyday no matter what is happening to you, and realizing that this is your happy place."
For more about Bailey Rush, head to Baileyrushsurf.com.
