Amy
Burk

Amy Burk (née Kneebone) is a distinguished Canadian goalball player and captain of the national women’s team. She will be competing in her fifth Paralympic Games at Paris 2024. Born on March 17, 1990, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Burk was born with albinism, resulting in visual impairment. Despite this condition, she excelled in sports from a young age, initially playing basketball before discovering Goalball at 12. After her first exposure to the sport, she fully embraced goalball a year later, joining the PEI provincial team.

Throughout her career, Burk has been a cornerstone of the Canadian Goalball team, leading them to numerous successes. Notably, she captained the team to a gold medal at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, securing their qualification for the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Burk has also competed in the Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, as well as the 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2022 IBSA World Championships. Her achievements include winning bronze medals at the Guadalajara 2011, Toronto 2015, and Lima 2019 Parapan Am Games and securing the first-ever world championship title for Canada in Goalball in 2011​​​​​​​​.

Beyond her athletic career, Burk is a dedicated advocate for the visually impaired community. She has served as an athlete representative with Canadian Blind Sports and is a member of the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Athlete Council. Burk is also a mother of two boys and recently graduated with a medical laboratory technician diploma from Algonquin College in 2023. Her resilience and dedication to balancing her roles as an athlete, mother, and advocate are inspiring to many, and she continues to be a pivotal figure in Canadian Goalball​​​​​​​​.

In addition to her athletic and advocacy roles, Burk is deeply committed to her personal growth and education. She has consistently demonstrated her passion for Goalball and her determination to inspire others, particularly within the visually impaired community. Burk’s journey is one of overcoming adversity and achieving excellence, both on and off the court, making her a role model for many aspiring athletes​​​​​​​​.