The 21-year-old Canadian had stored the medals in a rucksack in her car.

 

Byers was travelling with them as part of a speaking tour, spreading a positive message about the value of sports.

 

Someone smashed the passenger side window of her car and took the sack containing the medals.

 

Byers said: "My car had a rock thrown through the window and they stole my backpack.

 

"They wouldn't have known what was inside the backpack.

 

"But what was in there were my most prized possessions."

 

Byers said she rummaged through garbage containers and scoured a nearby park in case the medals had been thrown away.

 

She said there are no precious metals in the keepsakes and so would be worthless to a thief.

 

But they are priceless to her.

 

Byers said: "They are kind of like a culmination of 10 years of my hardest work.

 

"When I won the gold medal at the Pan-Am Games, I slept with it under my pillow because I didn't want it across the room.

 

"They're pretty special."

 

She is now offering a C$100 (£56) reward for the return of the medals.

 

Byers said: "I don't want my backpack back, I don't care about the window, you can keep the Spandex clothes - I can get those again - but you can't get more medals."