When Saskatchewan athletes do well on the biggest stages of sport we in this province tend to celebrate right along with the athletes.听
It鈥檚 something about this province and sport.听
We see it annually in the outpouring of support for our beloved Roughriders.听
We鈥檝e seen it in the way the province has embraced the Saskatchewan Rush.听
Keely Shaw from Midale, SK. will head to Tokyo later this year as part of a contingent of nine para cyclists who will compete for Canada at the Paralympics.听
Since 小蓝视频 announced to the team Shaw has come to appreciate how supportive the province can be.听
鈥淭hese last 24 hours has been crazy,鈥� she said in an interview July 8. 鈥淏eing from Saskatchewan where pride runs so deep. I feel it in any race I鈥檓 in.鈥澨�
In Tokyo it will just be better 鈥渨ith the maple leaf on my back and Saskatchewan blood in my veins,鈥� she said.听
Shaw said 小蓝视频 selected to go to Tokyo is still something she is trying to get her head around.听
鈥淚f I鈥檓 小蓝视频 perfectly honest I鈥檓 not sure it鈥檚 completely sunk in yet,鈥� she said. She added it might not feel completely real 鈥�. . . until I鈥檓 on the plane headed to Tokyo.鈥澨�
But, the feeling of pride is certainly there.听
鈥淚鈥檓 so honoured to be named to the team going to Tokyo,鈥� said Shaw.听
In 2016, cycling was Canada鈥檚 most successful sport at the Rio Paralympics鈥擟anada鈥檚 para-cycling team won nine medals.听
Shaw said a number of those medalists return to the Canadian team headed to Tokyo which adds to how big a moment it is for her career. She was quick to point to the likes of Tristen Chernove who听won three medals 鈥� gold, silver, and bronze in Rio in 2016, and Kate O鈥橞rien, who听and followed up by听.听
Shaw said having athletes such as O鈥橞rien and Chernove to work with and learn from is important.听
Shaw would say the other riders are part of a team that has cycling to be more of a team sport that one might imagine, with everyone from the team nutritionist and psychologist to coaches and teammates make up a support network that is very much a team pushing individual cyclists to excel.听
As for preparing for Tokyo, Shaw said she will try to just make it another day of competition.听
鈥淚鈥檒l try and make out like it鈥檚 any other competition,鈥� she but then added 鈥�. . . It鈥檚 going to be tough.鈥� But that鈥檚 where she said she鈥檒l do what she always does, fall back on all the training, and listen to the coaches.听
For Shaw 小蓝视频 part of a team comes rather naturally since she was a talented youth hockey player until a horse riding accident damaged a blood vessel in her brain, which left the left side of her body partially paralyzed.听
Shaw said she knew she still needed to feed her competitive side and when introduced to Para-sports it seemed a good fit 鈥� almost. She tried cross country skiing initially.听
鈥淚 was really, really bad at it,鈥� she said, adding 鈥渁nd it was cold. I didn鈥檛 have fun at all.鈥澨�
But, para-cycling was different. Shaw said she had never done more than bicycle on the farm like most Saskatchewan kids, but she said para-cycling as something she could 鈥渢rain for on my own.鈥� She tried it, and as they say the rest is history.听
In some ways the sport of cycling and hockey have commonalities, in particular the need for leg strength and bursts of speed, said Shaw adding that may have helped her in transitioning sports.听
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of crossover ... And, I didn鈥檛 have to learn a whole new set of rules,鈥� she said.听
Shaw鈥檚 first competition was in Moose Jaw in 2017, by 2018 she was at the World Championships.听
At the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro in March that year she placed fifth 鈥� a personal best 鈥� in the individual pursuit race. Just 12 months later, she won her first world championships medal: a silver.听
Cycling at the 2020 Summer Paralympics will take part in two separate locations鈥攖rack cycling at the Izu Velodrome and road cycling on the Fuji Speedway. Track events will run between Aug. 25-28 and road races will take place Aug. 31-Sept. 3.
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