Fierce Paralympian triathlon competitor hails from Wasaga Beach

Wasaga Beach's Leeanne Taylor won gold in the Paralympic Triathlon in Wales in June. June 27, 2024 (Photo: World Triathlon)

Leanne Taylor is wearing the new gold medal she won at a race in Swansea last week.

The 31-year-old has travelled the world competing in 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'm excited," she said from her home in Winnipeg, "My goal was to just qualify for the Paralympics and now I'm beating the athletes I never thought I could. So it's getting exciting."

The Paratriathlon isn't easy. There's a 750-metre swim, a 28 kilometre race in a hand-cycle and another five kilometres in a racing wheelchair.

Taylor, who was born in England and moved to Wasaga Beach when she was 10-years old, attended Jean Vanier – now called Our Lady of the Bay Catholic High School, before heading off to university to study microbiology.

A tragic mountain bike crash at age 25 left her with a spinal cord injury and paralysis in her legs.

"I was athletic but I never would have thought of competing at the Olympics," Taylor said.

It wasn't until she was recovering at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg that she began to consider life as a paraplegic athlete.

"We had different athletes come and talk to us about the Paralympics, and I was really lucky to have such positive role models.  We met Colin Matheson, a former wheelchair racing athlete, and Dr. Kristine Cowley – she's a professor and has kids," she said.

Taylor heads to Montreal on June 29 for the final qualifier for the Paris games.

"I love doing it. It's fun and it's satisfying. When it's hard, I just refocus on the joy because it's fun to do and it makes me feel good," Taylor said.