Olympian and CQUniversity ambassador Anna Meares was awarded the Sir Hubert Opperman medal as the 2008 Australian Cyclist of the Year at a ceremony this week.

The 25-year-old also took out honours as the 2008 Toshiba Elite Female Track Cyclist of the Year and, in a public acclamation of her inspirational efforts in 2008, was also voted the Scody People's Choice Cyclist for the Year.

Anna Meares with the Sir Hubert Opperman Medal and Trophy. Copyright: Cycling Australia.A tearful Meares was overwhelmed by the honour as the room of dignitaries and cycling champions of all generations stood to applaud her.

2008 was a turbulent year for the Queenslander who sustained a potentially fatal fracture to her C2 vertabra, or in simple terms a broken neck, in a race crash during the Los Angeles round of the World Cup in January.

But the world record holder and 2004 Olympic gold and bronze medallist fought back, not only to return to racing but also to earn selection for Beijing where she collected an Olympic silver medal in the women's sprint. Her performance inspired the nation.

As a CQUniversity ambassador and student, Anna has developed strong ties with the University community in recent years.

Despite deferring her studies to concentrate on her cycling career, the door to study will always be open to Anna.

Anna first enrolled at CQUniversity through the Elite Athlete Friendly University Project, a national initiative of the Australian Institute of Sport.

Through this project, the University ensures that elite athletes, who have been identified by some of Australia's key sports organisations, can successfully pursue a degree while maintaining their sports commitments that often involve overseas travel or time off for major training camps or competitions.