Sport Yukon is offering interested individuals a chance to put their support down in writing for the territory's two Olympic Summer Games athletes.

Two specially laminated banners have been designed for both weightlifting sensation Jeane Lassen of Whitehorse and Watson Lake's indoor track cyclist, Zach Bell. The banners are being kept at Sport Yukon until Sunday when they will be flown to Beijing and given to both athletes.

Tracey Bilsky, Lassen's sports psychology consultant, will be the person who will present the two banners to each athlete before they compete this coming week.

Bilsky has been working with Lassen since 2005, but only recently began travelling with her to competitions.

Bilsky said she found out about the banners around a month ago when Active Living/Community Recreation Consultant Sue Meikle phoned her up and asked if she would be willing to take them with her to Beijing.

"I thought it was so fantastic," she said. "Sue asked if I could take it over and I responded I would be absolutely proud to take that. It didn't matter how big it was, I would get it there."

Bell is among the top 22 track cyclists in the world, who will be represented at the Olympic Games. His first competition in Beijing will be the points race, which will be held on Aug. 16.

A points race features a mass start format, which involves a large number of riders. Cyclists are awarded points for the first five finishers in each sprint distance. The winning cyclist is the person who accumulates the largest number of points.

The final competition Bell will compete in is called the madison. The madison is a team event where one cyclists rides at a time, while the other team member, or members, rest up until it's their turn to race.

Teams are usually made up of two riders. A rider must be touched before he or she can enter the race and the winner is the team that completes the most laps.

Lassen will compete on Aug. 15 at 12:30 a.m., local time, if it is covered live on CBC. The two events she will take part in include the snatch and the clean and jerk.

The format includes athletes having three lifts in both categories. If an athlete is successful at making a lift, more weight is added to bar. All unsuccessful attempts must be redone in a competition.

The clean and jerk category is a little more technical of the two. The lift involves two movements, which includes a competitor pulling the bar to his or her shoulders and then lifting it from there.

This year's female Canadian Olympic team will include three athletes in total, which is an all-time record for the country. Lassen will compete in the 75-kg category.

Bilsky has previously travelled with her to competitions such as the 2008 nationals. She also offered her services at the Northwestel test event, which was held back in July.

Bilsky said both Lassen and Bell are lucky to be from the Yukon.

"Up here people don't usually care what you do or what you drive; they care about who you are," she said. "To get a reminder of that when they are in Beijing of all the people who are going to sign this banner, it's just going to bring nothing but good things to them."

She said she is not surprised by how many people have signed the banners so far.

"I know people in this town would make a special trip down just to sign it," Bilsky said. "A lot of them know how hard these two have worked through the years and how many things they have had to sacrifice. I think it's also really special for the Yukon to feel like they are a part of this and that is just another way they can be a part of it."

Bilsky said she expects the banner to mean a lot to both athletes.

"I expect Jeane to get a few tears in her eyes," she said. "It's just such a good reminder that people haven't forgotten. They know the effort it takes and they are behind her no matter what and same with Zach. I don't know Zach of course as well as Jeane, but I know Jeane will be really touched."