The Canadian Paralympic Committee announced the athletes and coaches who will make up Team Canada at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, which be held September 7 to 18.
Canada will bring a total of 162 athletes to compete in 19 sports, including the two new Paralympic sports of para-triathlon and para-canoe. Team Canada is led by Chef de Mission Chantal Petitclerc and assistant Chef de Mission Norm O’Reilly.
“Congratulations to this entire group of dedicated, world-class athletes and coaches who have worked relentlessly to earn the honor of representing Canada in Rio,” said Petitclerc. “I know that our Canadian contingent is prepared, focused and ready to take on the challenge of Team Canada’s performance goal of placing in the top 16 nations in the total medal count.”
Team Canada includes seven athletes recently added: swimmers Camille Bérubé (Gatineau, Que.), Zack McAllister (Lethbridge, Alta.), Jean-Michel Lavallière (Quebec City, Que.) and Danial Murphy (Bedford, N.S.); wheelchair fencer Mathieu Hébert (Valleyfield, Que.); and road cycling tandem Shawna Ryan (Saskatoon, Sask.) and pilot Joanie Caron (Rimouski, Que.).
Team Canada’s oldest athlete is 59-year-old table tennis player Stephanie Chan (Vancouver, B.C.) while the youngest athlete is 13-year-old swimmer Danielle Doris (Moncton, N.B.). The most accomplished athlete on Team Canada heading to Rio is swimmer Benoit Huot, with 19 Paralympic medals. The Rio-bound athlete who has competed at the most Paralympic Games is wheelchair basketball player Tracey Ferguson, who will enter her seventh Paralympic Games.
