Like all returning athletes at the Paralympics, Nikita Ens will be in for an entirely different experience in Paris with family, friends and fans all watching.
The Meadow Lake, Sask., product punched her ticket to the second Paralympics of her career earlier this spring at the Canadian Trials.
“Seeds had been sown in Tokyo,” said Ens. “Now with more hype, anticipation, crowd support… my folks are coming this time, so hopefully, it blossoms into something big and beautiful.”
Ens will be competing in the S3 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle events for Team Canada after a pair of ninth-place finishes in Tokyo three years earlier.
Since 2021, she’s worked extensively with Saskatoon Lasers Swim Club head coach Ryan Jones to adjust her swimming technique to compete for a spot on the Paralympic podium.
“She’s learned a lot over the last few years,” said Jones. “I think in making this team, she’s been able to reflect and build on some of those areas to help put her back into this position.”
Ens became a paraplegic in 2014, at the age of 25, after a car crash involving an impaired driver. It immediately changed her everyday way of life and forced a re-evaluation of her athletic pursuits.
She’s credited the pool as a big part of her healing and will now race for Canada in Paris alongside Lasers teammates Shelby Newkirk and Hannah Ouellette.
“Saskatchewan and the city of Saskatoon are such supportive and incredible communities,” said Ens. “So we want to do y’all proud.”
Opening competition of the 2024 Paralympics begin on Thursday, while Ens’ first event will take place on Monday, Sept. 2.