The Paralympics bring together over four thousand of the best para-athletes in the world to compete in 549 different events across 23 different sports. All of these athletes are inspirations to their country, not only through their achievements and pursuits of Paralympic medals, but also because of the adversity and challenges they face every day as competitive athletes with disabilities.
Three athletes from Ottawa are representing Team Canada in Paris.
Bianca Borgella – Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club
Bianca Borgella is making her Paralympic debut in Paris. The 21-year-old is a sprinter, competing in the T13 classification for athletes with visual impairments. She earned two medals in the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships: a silver in the T13 200m with a time of 25.00 seconds and bronze in the T13 100m with a personal best of 12.16 seconds.
Trinity Lowthian – Ottawa Fencing Club
Trinity Lowthian was involved in various sports until her 2018 when her autonomic nervous system was compromised. Despite these challenges, she graduated from high school with honours while completing her final two years primarily in the hospital.
Lowthian leads the TRYumph Gymnastics Academy’s wheelchair fencing program, which has integrated with the Ottawa Fencing Club to promote inclusivity and provide opportunities for athletes with disabilities. She makes her Paralympic debut in Paris.
Brianna Hennessy – Ottawa River Canoe Club
Brianna Hennessy is making her second Paralympic appearance in Para Canoe, and has made several appearances on podiums in international competitions since her Paralympic debut in 2021 in Tokyo.
Hennessy originally got her start in Para sport as a wheelchair rugby athlete, but joined the Ottawa River Canoe Club when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down team rugby activities. She qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics less than two years after taking up the sport.
The Paralympics offer a glimpse at the work of several programs and organizations that prioritize accessible sport for athletes with disabilities. One of these organizations is Abilities Ottawa, led by Executive Director Emily Glossop. Abilities Ottawa creates sporting opportunities at both the recreational and high-performance level, giving athletes the chance to participate, and if they choose, strive to be one of Team Canada’s Paralympians.