麻豆传媒

YORKTON - For Keely Shaw the recent Paralympics in Paris were in her words “bittersweet”.

The Midale, Sask. cyclist had gone into the Paralympics with definite goals, those being a silver and bronze medal, which would have improved on a bronze and fourth place finishing at the Tokyo Paralympics. She was the only athlete from Saskatchewan to win either an Olympic or Paralympic medal in Tokyo.

“That was not realized,” Shaw told Yorkton This Week.

Shaw did bring home another bronze medal for Canada in the women’s C4 3,000-metre Individual Pursuit Final,  but she had dreamed a high podium finish.

But now as Shaw is back in Saskatchewan she is taking time to reflect, on both the Paralympics experience and her future in sport.

Shaw -- a five-time world medallist in the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 World Championships -- said she definitely understands just how special it is to be able to compete at the Paralympics.

“Just getting to represent my country is big,” she said, adding medals are the “cherry on top” of the experience of donning a Canadian jersey.

The Paris experience also shows just how dynamic the sport she is involved in has become, said Shaw.

“The sport has come so far. I have so much respect for my competitors,” she said.

There was a time a para athlete could compete and podium finish across varied cycling competitions, but looking at the Paris results that is no longer the case. Now there is a growing need to special to an event to rise to the podium.

In terms of reflection, the overall experience in Paris was significantly different from the COVID restricted event in Tokyo.

Shaw – who was named the Sask Sport Female Athlete of the Year Award for 2021 -- said that was reflected in the competition itself with the velodrome in Paris filled with 30,000 fans.

“They were packed,” she said, adding the noise was amazing and loud, especially when a French rider was involved.

“It was kind of like Disneyland for athletes.”

That feeling extended beyond the arena of competition.

Shaw said this version of the games allowed for far more interaction between athletes, those representing Canada, and beyond.

“You’d trade a pin and suddenly you’re chatting,” said Shaw adding that suited her just fine. “I’m very much a people person. I enjoy meeting people and talking to other people.”

The connectivity created was special as it made her realize “I was part of something so much bigger than myself – Bigger than my own cycling team. We all sort of had this common ground.”

The feeling was reflective of what the Paralympics is about, competition certainly, but also creating a sense of community transcending international borders, said Shaw.

Shaw became a Para cyclist in 2016 after a horse riding accident in 2009 left her with partial paralysis on her left side at age 15. She entered her first road race in 2017.