Grande Prairie's Mairen Lawson (far left) has earned a cycling scholarship to Marian University. Photo supplied by Mairen Lawson.

By Curtis Galbraith

Cycling

Grande Prairie’s Lawson earns cycling scholarship to American university

Dec 22, 2022 | 5:38 PM

A Grande Prairie athlete has landed a cycling scholarship at Marian University located in Indianapolis.

Mairen Lawson will be starting school in January.

She says she was looking into various options and found Marian was a top-rated school for both athletics and academics.

“We reached out through email and were talking with them and then the head coach was looking at things I’ve done, like results and numbers and he was very interested.”

“We ended up having a video call. This was around September this year and then it just kind of took off from there and they offered me a scholarship.”

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Lawson won an Alberta championship and a silver medal at the Canada Games this past summer, both in the individual time trial.

She says results like that were something that interested Marian University.

“One of the disciplines I did was track cycling and there is an event that I do, it’s called pursuit and I’m strong there as well. I’ve gotten a national medal there for team pursuit.”

“They have a very strong team at their school, and they were really excited to have someone like me come and join the team.”

Lawson plans to major in sports psychology.

“I really wanted to do it because I’ve been in some of those people’s shoes like that would come and ask for a sports psychologist.”

“A lot of them are elite athletes who have maybe had anxiety during competition or have had lots of things that they’ve gone through, and I feel like I could relate to them and help them.”

Lawson says she doesn’t know what to expect moving down to the U.S. but plans to learn as she goes.

Lawson will represent Canada at a virtual cycling event run through an online app called Zwift in February. She says she has verified times on this and it is part of what earned her the scholarship.

“They have a world championship every year. It’s the best people all over the world come and do a big race. I qualified for that this year.”

Competitors use their own bikes but take the back wheel off and use it like a stationary bike. Riders can also use Zwift to ride just for the fun of it. The app makes it seem like riders are outside.

Lawson says she would like to become a professional someday. She would also want to join Team Canada and go to the Olympics.