Keely Shaw will be part of Team Canada in Para cycling at the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in August.
Shaw, who hails from Midale, will suit up for Canada in the women’s C4 classification. A member of the Canadian team for four years now, Shaw was also a medallist at her first Track Worlds, picking up a silver medal in 2019.
In 2020 at the World Track Championships in Milton, Ont., she finished fourth, missing the bronze by just 75 milliseconds in the women’s C4 individual pursuit.
At the 2019 World Road Championships in Para cycling, Shaw was fourth in the time trial and seventh in the 65-kilometre road race. Earlier in 2019 at the world track championships, she won her silver medal in the individual pursuit.
She became a Para cyclist in 2016 after dabbling in several sports after a horse riding accident left her with partial paralysis on her left side at age 15 in 2009. She entered her first road race in 2017. She was invited to a Cycling Canada camp in 2017 and that same year won two medals at the national championships.
In 2018 she entered her first world championships. She was fourth in the individual pursuit at the track worlds and fourth and seventh in the time trial and road race at the road worlds.
She completed her master’s degree at the University of Saskatchewan in kinesiology in 2019. Her thesis was on the impact of dark chocolate on cycling at high altitudes. She’s pursuing her PhD in kinesiology — exercise physiology and sport nutrition.
Shaw was named Saskatchewan’s Female Athlete of the Year for 2019.
She was one of nine athletes named to the squad Wednesday. The others are Tristen Chernove (C2), Marie-Ève Croteau (T2), Joey Desjardins (H3), Shelley Gautier (T1), Alex Hyndman (H3), Charles Moreau (H3), Kate O'Brien (C4), and Ross Wilson (C1).
Canada earned eight athlete slots for the Tokyo Games through qualification points gained at world cups and world championships between Jan. 1, 2018 and March 3, 2020. An additional spot was received through bipartite commission invitation.
“Our Paralympic nominees, comprised of both rookies and veterans, will support each other in order to perform at these Games,” said Sébastien Travers, Para cycling head coach. “Although some of our selected athletes have not raced internationally in the last 18 months, they have maintained a high level of training and we are confident in their progress. We will be going to Tokyo with the goal of achieving medal performances, both at the Izu Velodrome and the Fuji Speedway.”
The track events (time trial and individual pursuit) will run from August 25-28, with Shaw among those set to race for Canada. Competition will then shift to the road (time trial and road race) from Aug. 31-Sept. 3, with Shaw once again among those on the docket.
Cycling was Canada’s most successful sport at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, winning nine medals (one gold, three silvers, and five bronze). Eight of those podium performances were from team members returning for the Tokyo Games.
“Congratulations to the entire Para cycling squad heading to Tokyo!” said Stephanie Dixon, chef de mission, Tokyo 2020 Canadian Paralympic Team. “Canada’s Para cyclists have had so much incredible and hard-earned success over the last few years, and it will be so exciting to see them return to competition. The entire Canadian Paralympic Team will be behind them all the way.”
