The cyclist who was killed in a vehicle crash during the Okanagan Granfondo on July 13 has been identified through a fundraiser and obituary as Ava Choy from Vancouver.
Her describes her as a lifelong volunteer and dedicated to physical activity, from competing in martial arts as a child, to taking up cycling in recent years.
"Even in elementary school, Ava was such an amazing volunteer crossing guard that she was awarded with a helicopter ride over Vancouver," her obituary reads.
Described as a "fire dragon through and through," Choy had only taken up cycling in recent years, and was a member of a cycling club in the Lower Mainland with her brother.
Choy lost her life in a crash that occurred while she was participating in the Okanagan Granfondo, on White Lake Road south of Penticton.
The circumstances surrounding Choy's death and the injury of two other cyclists has not been made public, but the RCMP have stated they are investigating.
A GoFundMe has been set up by a friend of the family to raise money for an appropriate send-off for Choy. The fundraiser can be found by searching for on the GoFundMe website.
As of July 29, more than $16,000 had been raised towards a goal of $30,000.
In a statement shared on July 25, the Okanagan Granfondo encouraged riders to reach out to the supports it shared with them, and thanked the first responders and RCMP for their swift action.
"Our collective hearts ache for the family and friends who lost a cherished loved one, and we stand with them in their grief," the statement reads.
According to her obituary, there will be a visitation open to to the public on Aug. 7 from 6-8 p.m. at Glenhaven Funeral Home (1835 E Hastings St, Vancouver).
The funeral will not be open to the public, but a Celebration of Life will be held at a later, undetermined date.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Vancouver Firefighter Charities.
A separate fundraiser identified one of the other victims involved in the crash, Karen Martens, who was hospitalized in the crash.
Martens has since been released from the hospital, as has the other victim, who has not yet been publically identified.
