Leanne
Taylor

Paralyzed from the waist down in a biking accident in 2018, Leanne Taylor decided while in hospital she was going to be a Para triathlete.

She completed her first paratriathlon just eight months after being injured. Just six years later, she has her sights set on Paris 2024.

Heading into those Games, she has established herself among the world’s best with top-five finishes at the last two world championships: fifth in 2023 and fourth in 2022.

In June 2024, she won her first gold medal on the ITU World Series circuit. As of July 1, 2024, she is ranked third in the world in women’s PTWC. Over her career, she has earned three victories and 10 medals in 24 races sanctioned by World Triathlon.

In 2024 she also won gold in the women’s PTWC (wheelchair) at the Americas Championships in Miami and was Canadian champion in 2019.

On the World Triathlon World Series circuit, she collected three silver medals and a bronze in 2022 and a silver in 2023 and 2024 (as of June 21).

Injured in 2018, she was determined to pursue triathlon. Ste trained with Paralympic medallist Colin Mathieson for wheelchair racing.

She later discovered biking with another Paralympic medalist, Kristine Cowley, and joined a swim club for people with disabilities called Para Storm Swim Club.

Career highlights

2022, 2023 world championships… 2024 Americas champion and World Series victory.

Personal

Compliance officer at a pharmaceutical company where she recently won an award as one of the Top 25 Women in Biotechnology in 2022…. Her hero is Silken Laumann… Born in England and moved to Canada at age 10.. Joined a triathlon club in university prior to her injury…

Notable international results

2024 ITU World Series (Swansea, Wales) 1^st

2024 Americas Championships 1st

2023 World Championships 5^th

2022 World Championships 4^th