THUNDER BAY — A city woman has been named to the Canadian athletics squad at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Chile.
Keegan Gaunt, 23, joins 16 other athletes who will compete in track and field events, and is among 10 who will compete in Parapan Am games for the first time.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee and Athletics Canada made the announcement Tuesday.
The athletics competition will take place Nov. 21 to Nov. 25 in Santiago.
This event is not a qualifier for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,but could allow athletes to achieve high performance standards that may be used in slot allocation for the Olympics next summer.
In 2021, Gaunt lowered the Canadian record in the women's T13 1500 m, wiping out a mark that had stood since 1984.
She's currently pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in management of economics and finance at the University of Guelph.
Gaunt is the daughter of Robbi Weldon, who won a gold medal in Para cycling for Canada at the 2012 Paralympic Games, and completed overall at four Paralympics in both cycling and cross-country skiing.
Like her mother, Gaunt was diagnosed with Stargardt disease in her teen years.
It's a condition that attacks the central vision, and has left her with blind spots in her sight.
Her father, Robert — also visually impaired — was a two-time Paralympian in men's goalball.
