Heather Bansley named 2018 Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year

Beach volleyball star Heather Bansley has won the 2018 Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year award.

The Waterdown native beat out hockey player Brandon Saigeon and basketball player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Thursday night’s award ceremony at the Catholic Youth Organization fundraising dinner at the Hamilton Convention Centre.

Bansley is ranked No. 1 in the world in beach volleyball with her partner Brandie Wilkerson.

The 31-year-old won gold medals at the 2018 World Tour event in Poland, in Las Vegas, and at the Chetumal Open in Mexico.

She also won silver at the Ostrava Beach Open in the Czech Republic and picked up a bronze medal at the Itapema Open in Brazil.

Past winners of the award include Olympic swimmer Joanne Malar, Nashville Predators defenceman Ryan Ellis, golfer MacKenzie Hughes, football players Jesse Lumsden and Kyle Quinlan, and basketball players Shona Thorburn and Kia Nurse.

Since 1995, the Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year Award has recognized the Burlington and Greater Hamilton Area’s top athlete.

The winner will receive the Bill Sturrup Trophy, named after the late Bill Sturrup, a 900 CHML broadcaster for more than 45 years.