August 30, 2016 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – It is with great excitement and pride that the Canadian Paralympic Committee today announced the athletes and coaches who will make up Team Canada at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, to be held Sept. 7 to 18.

Canada will bring a total of 162 athletes to compete in 19 sports, including the two new Paralympic sports of para-triathlon and para-canoe. In addition a third Tandem Cycling Team was added as extras slots became available with the Russian team being banned – see complete Paralympic Cycling team below and for the complete list of Team Canada athletes and coaches click here.

Team Canada is led by Chef de Mission Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal, Que. and Assistant Chef de Mission Norm O’Reilly, originally of Lindsay, Ont.

“Congratulations to this entire group of dedicated, world-class athletes and coaches who have worked relentlessly to earn the honor of representing Canada in Rio,” said Petitclerc. “I know that our Canadian contingent is prepared, focused and ready to take on the challenge of Team Canada’s performance goal of placing in the top 16 nations in the total medal count.”

Team Canada includes seven athletes recently added as a result of additional quota spots due to Russia not participating at these Games: swimmers Camille Bérubé (Gatineau, Que.), Zack McAllister (Lethbridge, Alta.), Jean-Michel Lavallière (Quebec City, Que.) and Danial Murphy (Bedford, N.S.); wheelchair fencer Mathieu Hébert (Valleyfield, Que.); and road cycling tandem Shawna Ryan (Saskatoon, Sask.) and pilot Joanie Caron (Rimouski, Que.).

FUN FACTS: Team Canada’s oldest athlete is 59-year-old table tennis player Stephanie Chan (Vancouver, B.C.) while the youngest athlete is 13-year-old swimmer Danielle Doris (Moncton, N.B.). The most accomplished athlete on Team Canada heading to Rio is swimmer Benoit Huot, with 19 Paralympic medals. The Rio-bound athlete who has competed at the most Paralympic Games is wheelchair basketball player Tracey Ferguson, for whom Rio will be her seventh Paralympic Games.

PROVINCIAL BREAKDOWN BY WHERE ATHLETES ARE FROM: British Columbia (33), Alberta (19), Saskatchewan (6), Manitoba (2), Ontario (49), Quebec (41), New Brunswick (3), Nova Scotia (5), Newfoundland and Labrador (3), outside Canada (1).

Team Canada’s Paralympic Cycling Team for Rio 2016

MEN
Daniel Chalifour (Ste-Thérèse, Que.)
Tristen Chernove (Cranbrook, B.C.)
Jean-Michel Lachance (Quebec City):
pilot for Daniel Chalifour
Charles Moreau (Victoriaville, Que.)
Michael Sametz (Calgary, Alta.)
Ross Wilson (Edmonton, Alta.)

WOMEN
Nicole Clermont (Laval, Que.)
Marie-Ève Croteau (Quebec City)
Shelley Gautier (Toronto, Ont.)
Marie-Claude Molnar (Lemoyne, Que.)
Robbi Weldon (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
Shawna Ryan (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
Audrey Lemieux (Alma, Que.): pilot for Robbi Weldon
Joanie Caron (Rimouski, Quebec): pilot for Shawna Ryan

Coaches
Head Coach Sébastien Travers (Bromont, Que.)
Eric Van den Eynde (Longueuil, Que.)
Cam Jennings (Edmonton, Alta.).

Coaches
Head Coach Sébastien Travers (Bromont, Que.)
Eric Van den Eynde (Longueuil, Que.)
Cam Jennings (Edmonton, Alta.).