Katarina Mirabelle Roxon (born April 5, 1993) is a medal-winning Canadian

para swimmer Para swimming is an adaptation of the sport of swimming for athletes with disabilities. Para swimmers compete at the Summer Paralympic Games and at other sports competitions throughout the world. The sport is governed by the International Paralym ...

and a five-time member of Canada's Paralympic Team.

Career

She began her Paralympic career at the

2008 Summer Paralympics The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games (), the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China, from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was ...

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

, 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 The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international Multi-sport event, multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Sum ...

she rose seven spots to fifth. In 2016, she won a gold medal in the 100 metre breaststroke at the

2016 Summer Paralympics The 2016 Summer Paralympics (), the 15th Summer Paralympic Games, were a major international multi-sport event for disabled sports, athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, f ...

in Rio de Janeiro and was the only representative of Canada there in S9, SB8 and SM9 disability classifications. In 2017, Roxon swam 200-metre individual medley at the Canadian Swimming Championships and won two medals, one of which was gold. Roxon won a bronze medal at the

2020 Summer Paralympics The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport event, multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the Inte ...

, in Women's 34pts 4x100m relay. She was selected to be Canada's flagbearer for the opening ceremony Parade of Nations at the

2024 Summer Paralympics The 2024 Summer Paralympics (), also known as the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games (), and branded as Paris 2024, were the 17th Summer Paralympic Games, an international Multi-sport event, multi-sport parasports event governed by the International P ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, 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.

Achievements

*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

Recognitions

Roxon was included on the "2016 Most Influential Women List" by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity. 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''. 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. Roxon is a Community Hero in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2016, she was a speaker at the Easter Seals Canada. In 2018, Roxon was appointed to the

Order of Newfoundland and Labrador The Order of Newfoundland and Labrador is a civilian Award, honour for merit in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Instituted in 2001, when Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, Lieutenant Governor Arthur Maxwell Hous ...

Legacy

KATARINA ROXON WAY - Highway (Route 490) named after Katarina Roxon.

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roxon, Katarina 1993 births Living people Canadian female backstroke swimmers Canadian female breaststroke swimmers Canadian female butterfly swimmers Canadian female freestyle swimmers Canadian female medley swimmers Paralympic swimmers for Canada S9-classified para swimmers Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Swimmers at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Swimmers at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the World Para Swimming Championships Paralympic medalists in swimming Paralympic gold medalists for Canada Commonwealth Games swimmers for Canada Medalists at the 2007 Parapan American Games Medalists at the 2015 Parapan American Games Members of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador Swimmers at the 2022 Commonwealth Games 21st-century Canadian sportswomen Parapan American Games medalists in swimming Parapan American Games gold medalists for Canada Parapan American Games silver medalists for Canada Parapan American Games bronze medalists for Canada