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You probably know that Canada tends to be good—but not great—at the Olympics. We win a bit during the Summer Games, we win a lot at the Winter Games, and overall we field great delegations that are a joy to watch.
What you might not know is that when it comes to the Paralympics—that is, the Olympics for people with physical disabilities—Canada does pretty damn well. In fact, we’re ranked fourth in the world.
The next Paralympics will be right after the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024. Here are some of the Paralympians who will be competing or who’ve done Canada proud in the past.
Brent Lakatos, Track & Field
Lakatos has represented Canada at three Paralympics. He currently holds 11 Paralympic medals and is presently the world champion in the 800 metre T53. Back in 2013, he was the world champion at the World Para Athletics Championships in three events: the 100 metre, 200 metre, and 400 metre.
Mélanie Labelle, Wheelchair Rugby
A truly cool sport to watch (perhaps you’ve seen Murderball), wheelchair rugby is mixed gender, and Mélanie Labelle of Saint-Hubert, Quebec, is one of the only women playing for the national program. She joined just four years ago, after breaking her neck swing dancing.
Aurélie Rivard, Swimming
Rivard is one of the biggest stars in the world of Canadian Paralympics, having been chosen to bear the flag in 2016. She’s a five-time freestyle champion and holds a few world records too.
Nate Riech, Track & Field
Another world-record holder, Riech is the current world champion in the men’s 1,500 T38.
Greg Westlake, Para Ice Hockey
Westlake has won three medals for para ice hockey. He represented Canada for 19 years in the sport before retiring as one of the best to ever play the game.
Stefan Daniel, Triathlon
Daniel is a five-time world champion. Born with club hands, this 27-year-old from Calgary brought home a silver medal in 2016.
Danielle Dorris, Swimming
It’s impressive to break a world record, but twice? Dorris did this twice while working towards a gold medal in the 50-metre butterfly S7. Also, she’s only 21, so there’s so much ahead of her.
Ina Forrest, Wheelchair Curling
Pride of Spallumcheen, British Columbia, Forrest holds three Paralympic medals, but what’s really amazing is she only started curling at age 42. Clearly, she picked up the sport fast!
Nathan Clement, Cycling
If you know Clement, it’ll be from swimming. As a swimmer, he was known for the butterfly. Now, he’s pursuing cycling, having won gold in a T1 time trial event in Glasgow at the UCI Cycling World Championships. We can’t wait to see what he does at the Paralympics.
Kate O’Brien, Cycling
You may recognize O’Brien from Canada’s Olympic team. Unfortunately, a velodrome crash gave her a brain injury and a few broken bones. Now, O’Brien is cycling once more, having won a gold medal in the women’s 500-metre C4 at the World Para-Cycling Track Championships.
