Katarina Mirabelle Roxon ONL (born April 5, 1993) is a medal-winning Canadian paralympic swimmer and a five-time member of Canada's Paralympic Team.[1][2]

Katarina Roxon
Personal information
Full nameKatarina Mirabelle Roxon
NationalityCanadian
Born (1993-04-05) April 5, 1993 (age 31)
Kippens, Newfoundland
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesMedley swimming, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle
CoachLeonard Roxon
Medal record
Paralympic swimming
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100m breaststroke SB8
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo Women's 4 × 100m SB8
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2013 Montreal 4x100m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 2019 London 100m breaststroke SB8
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Glasgow 100m breaststroke SB8
Bronze medal – third place 2019 London 4x100m freestyle relay
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Madeira 100m breaststroke SB8
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Manchester 100m breaststroke SB8
Parapan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2007 Rio de Janeiro 4x100m medley relay
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto 100m breaststroke SB8
Silver medal – second place 2007 Rio de Janeiro 100m breaststroke SB8
Silver medal – second place 2007 Rio de Janeiro 200m individual medley SM8
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto 200m individual medley SM8
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto 400m freestyle S8
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto 50m freestyle S8
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Rio de Janeiro 50m freestyle S8
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Toronto 100m backstroke S8
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Toronto 100m freestyle S8
Canadian Swimming Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 200m individual medley SM8
Parapan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto 100m breaststroke SB8
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto 50m freestyle S9
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto 400m freestyle S9
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto 200m individual medley SM10
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Toronto 100m freestyle S9
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Toronto 100m backstroke S9

Career

edit

Her father and coach Leonard Roxon left Vellore-India for Canada with his wife Lisa in 1990.[3] She has bagged several medals in various championships.

She began her Paralympic career at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China, where at age 15 she was the youngest swimmer on the Canadian team and placed 12th in the 100m breaststroke. Four years later at the London 2012 Paralympic Games she rose seven spots to fifth.[2]

In 2016, she won a gold medal in the 100 metre breaststroke at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro and was the only representative of Canada[4] there in S9, SB8 and SM9 disability classifications.[5]

In 2017, Roxon swam 200-metre individual medley at the Canadian Swimming Championships and won two medals, one of which was gold.[6]

Roxon won a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, in Women's 34pts 4x100m relay. [7]

She was selected to be Canada's flagbearer for the opening ceremony Parade of Nations at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, along with veteran basketball medallist Patrick Anderson. She will be the first Canadian female swimmer to compete at five Paralympics, dating back to her first Games in 2008 at Beijing.[2]

Achievements

edit
  • 2008 Paralympic Games 12th 100-m breaststroke
  • 2010 Commonwealth Games 6th 50-m freestyle, 5th 100-m freestyle and 100-m butterfly
  • 2012 Paralympic Games 5th 100-m breaststroke
  • 2014 Commonwealth Games 5th 100-m breaststroke and 200-m individual medley
  • 2014 Pan Pacific Para-swimming Championships 2nd 200-m individual medley
  • 2014 Pan Pacific Para-swimming Championships 1st 100-m breaststroke
  • 2015 East Coast Short Course Swimming Championships - World Record 200m Butterfly[8]

Recognitions

edit

Roxon was included on the "2016 Most Influential Women List" by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity.[9][10]

Roxon with "nubs up" friends and fellow medalists on the podium at the 2016 Rio Paralympics Games selected as one of the 52 best pictures of the Rio Paralympics by Business Insider Magazine.[11]

Katarina Roxon was selected for Women's History Month in Canada as one of the most influential women who is making history in Newfoundland & Labrador and in Canada.[12]

Roxon is a Community Hero in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.[13]

In 2016, she was a speaker at the Easter Seals Canada.[14]

In 2018, Roxon was appointed to the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador.[15]

Legacy

edit

KATARINA ROXON WAY - Highway (Route 490) named after Katarina Roxon.[16][17][18][19][20]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Katarina Roxon". Paralympic.ca. Canadian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Pat Anderson, Katarina Roxon named Canada's flag-bearers for Paris Paralympics opening ceremony". CBC Sports. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  3. ^ Serena Josephine M. (September 11, 2016). "A 'golden' Paralympian's Vellore connection". The Hindu. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  4. ^ Marilyn Boone (September 14, 2016). "Katarina Roxon wins Paralympic gold in 100-m breaststroke". CBC News. CBC. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  5. ^ "Katarina Roxon - Athletics, Swimming | Paralympic Athlete Profile". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  6. ^ "2 more medals for Katarina Roxon at National Swimming Championships". CBC News. CBC. August 7, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  7. ^ "Swimming: ROXON, Katarina". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  8. ^ "Katarina Roxon sets World and National Records at the East Coast Short Course Swimming Championships". cscatlantic.ca. Canadian Sports Centre. March 10, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ Dave Kearsey (March 10, 2017). "Katarina Roxon recognized for her positive influence on sport". The Western Star. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  10. ^ "CAAWS RECOGNIZES MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN - Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity". CAAWS. March 7, 2017. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  11. ^ Cork Gaines (September 20, 2016). "The 52 best pictures of the Rio Paralympics". Business Insider. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  12. ^ Jenn Hoegg (October 2, 2017). "SPECIAL FEATURE: History is her story, too". theadvance.ca. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  13. ^ "Keynote Speaker Katarina Roxon" (PDF). Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador. June 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 7, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  14. ^ Ryan Cooke (September 21, 2016). "Katarina Roxon offers advice, answers questions at Easter Seals headquarters". CBC News. CBC. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  15. ^ "Eight People Invested into the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador". releases.gov.nl.ca. 31 January 2018.
  16. ^ Ryan Cooke (September 20, 2016). "Paralympic champion Katarina Roxon welcomed home at St. John's airport". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  17. ^ "Route 490 renamed Roxon Way in honour of gold medalist from Kippens". The Western Star. September 20, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  18. ^ "Katarina Roxon Gets Her Own Way". VOCM. September 21, 2016. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  19. ^ "Recognizing Newfoundland and Labrador's Athletes". releases.gov.nl.ca/. September 20, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  20. ^ Jim Morris (September 28, 2017). "Paralympic gold medalist Katarina Roxon has managed to refocus her training". swimming.ca. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
edit