Leanne Taylor is sporting the brand new gold medal she received at a race in Swansea final week.
The 31-year-old has travelled the world competing within the three-discipline race from Abu Dhabi, to Spain to Madeira and is now setting her sights on the Paralympics in France September 2.
“I am excited,” she stated from her house in Winnipeg, “My objective was to simply qualify for the Paralympics and now I am beating the athletes I by no means thought I may. So it is getting thrilling.”
The Paratriathlon is not straightforward. There is a 750-metre swim, a 28 kilometre race in a hand-cycle and one other 5 kilometres in a racing wheelchair.
Taylor, who was born in England and moved to Wasaga Seashore when she was 10-years outdated, attended Jean Vanier – now referred to as Our Woman of the Bay Catholic Excessive Faculty, earlier than heading off to school to check microbiology.
A tragic mountain bike crash at age 25 left her with a spinal twine harm and paralysis in her legs.
“I used to be athletic however I by no means would have considered competing on the Olympics,” Taylor stated.
It wasn’t till she was recovering on the Well being Sciences Centre in Winnipeg that she started to think about life as a paraplegic athlete.
“We had completely different athletes come and discuss to us in regards to the Paralympics, and I used to be actually fortunate to have such constructive function fashions. We met Colin Matheson, a former wheelchair racing athlete, and Dr. Kristine Cowley – she’s a professor and has youngsters,” she stated.
Taylor heads to Montreal on June 29 for the ultimate qualifier for the Paris video games.
“I really like doing it. It is enjoyable and it is satisfying. When it is laborious, I simply refocus on the enjoyment as a result of it is enjoyable to do and it makes me really feel good,” Taylor stated.
