Puzicha has been competing in the annual Sydney Christmas Carnival being staged over five days, or three days in the case of the junior competitors, and won herself a major prize on Saturday.

Only the senior riders competed in day one, staged at the Dunc Gray Velodrome, before the juniors joined them for day two at Tempe.

With riders contesting up to four events across a multitude of age groups, each day sees a ‘champion’ crowned based on what points they accumulate in their various events.

For Puzicha, who was riding in the under 11s division, her haul of four wins from as many events made it a pretty easy task to work out who had starred for that particular meeting.

“She was declared the equal winner on points. She had scored the maximum possible for the day, and there was a boy riding in the under 13s age group who had done the same,” Tyler’s dad Michael explained.

“Basically the two were declared champions of that carnival. She got to wear the number one plate the next day which she was pretty happy about.”

As for Tyler’s reaction when she was announced as the winner, her father was left with no doubt as to how she felt.

“She was so surprised when they announced it... but she hasn’t shut up since,” he joked.

The nine-year-old’s starring turn began with a win in a girls only scratch race before she backed it up with a win in a ‘wheel race’ handicap event in which she started off scratch and also raced against boys.

The third event was a derby-style sprint which featured heats and finals, and she rounded it off in another wheel race that also involved under 9s and 13s riders.

Just to show it wasn’t a fluke, she finished fourth and second overall in the ensuing two days of competition.

In some ways it should be no surprise that she has so much ability – her older sister Courtney reached an elite level in her early teenage years.

At any rate, Michael Puzicha is adamant he had little to do with it.

“I can tell you neither of them get it from me,” he said.

“I didn’t take it up until I was in my mid-20s and wasn’t blessed with much.

“Tyler has been riding club stuff since she was four, and she has had a really good season actually. 

“She’s had the clean sweep at Tempe, and did the same at meetings in Bowral and Illawarra, and she won gold in a Country Championship scratch race and a silver medal in the time trial.”