Diane Maciver, 52, from Elgin in Scotland, trekked 400 miles to attend the prestigious event and rub shoulders with the sporting elite.
The British Cycling Awards are an annual event to recognise and celebrate the achievements of members, volunteers, clubs and riders across the UK, with the 2025 event hosted amongst glitz and glamour at the Manchester Deansgate Hotel.
Maciver was named Community Champion of the Year for her work making the sport more accessible across Scotland and noted that she couldn’t believe her luck in being in a room with so many incredible people.
“I’m still shaking, it has all been so overwhelming,” she said. “This is something I never thought that I would be able to do.
“I volunteer for the enjoyment and to get people on a bike. I didn’t start this to win the awards.
“If I could just get one person to do a mile on a bike then I’ve been successful.
“My day job is as a nurse but I speak about cycling every day and every minute, it’s my passion and I love it.
“It’s been an amazing event so far, I’ve been having to pinch myself about being at the British Cycling Awards. It’s all very surreal and an amazing night.”
Maciver started cycling 10 years ago and has since fallen in love with the sport, admitting that it was a big part of her recovery after a tragedy.
“My husband was a cyclist and he bought me a bike to go along with him,” she added.
“I then sadly had a really bad bereavement in 2019 when my friend passed away and I needed something to get me out of that place so I put my heart and soul into cycling and here I am now.”
Maciver, who works full-time as a nurse, has seen a wave of success on the bike since co-founding She Pedals Scotland and Get on a Bike to champion greater inclusion in the sport.
She has also ensured the gender balance at Elgin Cycling Club, where she is Vice Chair, has risen to, and now remains, at a 50/50 split between men and women.
And despite having her name on the Community Champion Award, Maciver was clear that there was a wider group of people behind the work she does that should receive recognition,
“I might have won this but really there’s a whole team behind me that has won it,” she said.
“We have an amazing charity called Get on a Bike that started and I wouldn’t be able to do it without the five trustees to help.
“Then with Elgin Cycling Club and She Pedals Scotland, I would never have achieved what I have there without the support of others.
“It’s not just me and I think that’s why I’m so overwhelmed, because there are so many people that have helped me in cycling.
“I now want to keep trying to get more people into cycling for years and years.”
Could you develop your skills, meet new people and bring huge impact to your local community through volunteering? Get involved with British Cycling volunteering opportunities at  https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/volunteeringÂ
