THUNDER BAY — Cycling Canada is recognizing the outstanding athletic achievements of Paralympian Robbi Weldon, who was born and raised in Thunder Bay.
The gold medal winner will be inducted Saturday into the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame, only the second Para cyclist to be so honoured since the hall was established in 2015.
Weldon says she was "pleasantly surprised and very appreciative" when she heard about her nomination.
"It's very nice to reflect back on many years of success with teammates in cross-country skiing and cycling," she said.
Weldon is a dual Paralympian and a Paralympic medallist, having competed in both Para Nordic skiing and Para cycling from 2010 to 2016.
An active participant in numerous sports, she first started out on downhill skis at the age of three.
When she was 15, she was diagnosed with a genetic form of macular degeneration affecting central vision.
At college, Weldon was introduced to two sports for the visually impaired, goalball and powerlifting, and went on to set national and world records in the squat, bench press and deadlift.
In 2002 she took on the new challenge of Para Nordic skiing, and competed at both the Sochi 2014 games and the Vancouver 2010 games.
After discovering cycling in 2010, Weldon rapidly displayed her strength and skill in that sport as well, twice finishing first in events at both the 2010 and 2011 Para cycling world championships.
She swept all four cycling events at the 2011 Parapan American Games alongside her pilot Lyne Bessette, and the pair was named Canada's flag-bearers for the closing ceremony.
The duo then went on to their biggest accomplishment, capturing the gold medal in the visually-impaired women's 80-kilometre road race at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
Weldon also represented Canada at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where she competed in two events.
The induction ceremony takes place Saturday, Oct. 30 in Bromont, Que.
In a phone interview Wednesday from Calgary, where she now works, Weldon recalled the importance of growing up in Thunder Bay.
"It actually brings me to tears. Thunder Bay is just a fantastic community for kids to grow up in sports and recreation, whether it be at the recreation level or all the way up to the elite level."
The mother of two said "there's tons of community backing for children, and all the way through to an adult."
Weldon said the Thunder Bay Cycling Club and ski centres were instrumental in her development as an athlete.
She expressed appreciation for fellow racers who gave her advice when she was starting out, and for all her training partners.
"With sight loss, it's important to have training partners, and there are so many people who were really dedicated to helping me pursue my dreams. I am very grateful for that support."
Weldon currently works in neurology rehabilitation and as a recreation therapist in the intensive palliative care unit of a major Calgary hospital.
She said she no longer participates in competitive events but has recently taken up rowing, and may take part in "fun master regattas" at some point.
