A Manitoba triathlete made history in an iconic Paris setting over the long weekend.
Oak Bluff’s Leanne Taylor became the first Canadian woman to medal in para triathlon at the Paralympics Monday, when she received a bronze medal.
Taylor told 680 CJOB’s The Start the Paralympic course included swimming the Seine River and cycling on the famous Champs-Élysées — beautiful to look at, but tricky to navigate during the race.
“Triathlon is generally quite hard. The course we had here in Paris was absolutely iconic, but came with even more challenges,” Taylor said.
“We swam in the Seine River, which had a significant current, which made our swim longer and harder than it usually is. And then we biked on the Champs-Élysées, which is absolutely beautiful but half cobblestone, so we were rattling around there.
“By the time we got to the run — normally my most comfortable part — I was absolutely gassed. So just being able to sort of hobble over the line at that point, you’re thrilled with yourself, but you have to push harder than that because the competition was definitely closing in for me.”
Taylor, who was paralyzed from the waist down in an accident at age 25, said participating in triathlon as a wheelchair user was something she never expected to be able to do — and it served as a way to “find some joy in my life” before becoming a serious athletic pursuit, with hours of daily training and international competition.
“Until this year, it was something that we didn’t even dare to dream of, and then I had some strong results this year.
“As the races (went) on, it started to look more and more and more possible … so we came into this race cautiously optimistic, and now we’re thrilled.
“I’m tired but I’m so happy.”