Year 12 St Catherine’s Catholic College Student Wins 2026 BMA River 2 Reef Ride Jersey Design Competition

MACKAY, QLD – After a record-breaking public voting period, Year 12 St Catherine's Catholic College student Evelyn Flynn has been officially crowned the winner of the 2026 BMA River 2 Reef Ride Youth Jersey Design Competition.

Evie’s Winning Design: Ride the Current

Evelyn’s vibrant artwork, titled "Ride the Current," won the hearts of the public and will now be featured on hundreds of official event cycling jerseys at the festival this August. Along with the ultimate bragging rights, Evelyn will also take home a $500 cash prize to help kickstart her creative future as she prepares to head to university next year.

Speaking on her winning piece, Evelyn provided an artist statement detailing the inspiration behind the artwork:

"Ride the Current explores the connection between cycling and the beautiful surrounding waters. Inspired by the relationship between Mackay rivers and the reef, this design reflects the natural flow of water. The flowing blue lines, gradients of blue and ocean creatures represent the energy of currents that travel between river and reef. Like the current, our cyclists push forward through resistance, becoming part of the natural flow that links our freshwaters to our oceans."

Event Director Nikki Giles said the 2026 competition was a resounding success and highlighted the immense talent within the Mackay, Isaac, and Whitsunday regions.

"This is the third year this competition has been in place, and this year has completely surpassed all of our expectations," said Nikki. "From the sheer number of entries we received, to the incredible range and quality of the artwork, and learning about the deep inspiration behind each entrant's design, it has been truly phenomenal.

The overwhelming public support and the record-breaking number of votes we received shows just how much our community values and supports our local youth. We are so proud of Evelyn and cannot wait to see her design out on the roads."

The 2026 BMA River 2 Reef Ride Festival will be held over the weekend of 15 and 16 August. Profits from the event, including funds raised through jersey purchases, will be distributed to 13 vital local community organisations.

Official participant registrations and merchandise sales are now open.