If you're watching the Olympic Games in Paris, stay tuned because Leanne Taylor from Wasaga Beach is competing in the para-triathlon during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Aug. 28 Sept. 8.
Taylor, 31, qualified for the Paralympics by winning gold in Miami on Feb. 8 during a continental championship for all the Americas.
“I was thrilled to have such an exciting qualifying race. It was my first career win at an international race, and hopefully the first of many,” Taylor said.
Taylor is currently ranked fourth in the world and has her sights set for the top at the Paralympics.
“I want to be on the podium. Bringing home a medal for Canada would mean the world to me,” she said.
Taylor graduated from Jean Vanier Catholic High School in Collingwood, now called Our Lady of the Bay Catholic High School. She currently trains and lives in Winnipeg with her husband.
After a biking accident in 2018, Taylor was left with spinal cord injuries that left her paralyzed from the waist down.
While still in the hospital, she decided that she was going to become a para-triathlete. She competed in her first race eight months later.
“I felt exhausted, but also so proud. I had a renewed optimism about how my life as a wheelchair user was going to look,” Taylor said.
A para-triathlon starts with a 750-metre swim, followed by a 20-kilometre cycle and then a five-kilometre run.
For the mass start, para-triathletes start in the water from a floating platform.
In Paris, athletes will be swimming in the Seine River. Taylor said efforts have been underway for some time to clean the water before the event.
Taylor was offered the opportunity to travel to Paris last summer to test the suitability of the para-triathlon site on behalf of the Paralympic committee.
“We were able to race the course that we will be racing in the Paralympics. It is an iconic and beautiful course on which we will swim in the Seine and ride on the Champs-Élysées. It will definitely come with its technical challenges like cobble on the bike and a significant current in the river but you don't choose para-triathlon if you don't like a challenge so I am excited,” she said.
Her favourite event is the swim because, “It’s more technical so there is a lot to learn and develop,” she said.
“I think the others sports take time and strength and effort but with the swim I had a lot of technique to catch up with because I had to start later in life. I had to catch up to the competition be able to qualify for Paris,” she said.
For the cycling component, Taylor has a racing hand cycle that allows the athlete to lay prone and use a hand crank to move the wheels. It requires a lot of upper body effort and aerobic conditioning to complete the course.
For the run, Taylor has a racing wheelchair, where she tucks her legs underneath and uses her hands and arms to push and steer the three-wheeled vehicle. It again requires a lot of upper body strength and muscular endurance. She is looking forward to the event and meeting new competitors.
“The thing I like most about the sport is the opportunity to be surrounded by some of the most hard working, courageous and fun individuals I have ever met. My teammates and even my competitors push me to work harder and be a better athlete and person,” she said.
Taylor’s whole family will be travelling to Paris to watch her compete in the paratriathlon Sept. 1 - 2. After the event, they will enjoy France and beyond for a holiday.
“It will be wonderful to take a bit of a break after the games. Preparation is rewarding but also exhausting, so it will feel wonderful to spend some time in Europe once the pressure is off.
For more information, visit Taylor’s website leanne-taylor.com.
