Renee
Foessel

Renee Foessel, a prominent Canadian Para athlete specializing in the discus throw, has been selected to represent Canada at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, marking her third appearance at the Paralympic Games. Born on May 30, 1995, in Mississauga, Ontario, Foessel was born with cerebral palsy, which affects one side of her body. Despite this, she has excelled in athletics from a young age, first being introduced to track and field at the age of nine.

Foessel has made significant strides in her athletic career. She reached a career milestone at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, where she won a silver medal in the women’s F38 discus with a season-best throw of 37.01 meters. This achievement secured a qualification spot for Canada at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. In the previous Paralympic Games held in Tokyo in 2021, she narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in the discus event. Heading into Tokyo, Foessel was in peak form, having set a world record with a throw of 37.83 meters in June 2021.

Her progress in the discus event is notable, with her world record coming just under two years after the 2019 IPC World Athletics Championships, where she won a bronze medal and set a new Canadian record four times, with her longest throw being 33.37 meters. Foessel also earned a complete medal set at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, winning gold in discus, silver in shot put, and bronze in javelin.

Foessel’s career is marked by her perseverance and dedication. She has been a member of the World Championship team in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2023, and competed in the Paralympic Games in 2016 and 2020. She was the youngest Canadian Para athlete at the 2011 IPC World Championships and was named the 2013 Most Outstanding Female Field Performer by Athletics Ontario.

In addition to her athletic achievements, Foessel graduated from Humber College with a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Criminal Justice and works for the Barrie Police in records and information management services. She enjoys attending sporting events, especially Toronto Blue Jays games, and began throwing in all three events—shot put, discus, and javelin—at age 10.

Renee Foessel continues to inspire with her dedication to both her sport and her professional career as she prepares for her third Paralympic appearance in Paris​​​​​​​​.