Quick facts

Birthdate

September 2, 1956

Hometown

Pincourt, Que.

Residence

Pincourt, Que.

Sport

Wheelchair fencing

Classification

A

Experience

Tokyo 2020

Paris 2024

In 2000, Ruth Sylvie Morel became the first Canadian wheelchair fencer to compete at a Paralympic Games. It was the start of what has been so far a long and successful career in the sport which also included the 2012 Paralympics in London.

Morel didn’t let the pandemic slow her down in her training for Games. In fact she was working harder than ever. She converted her basement into a training room. She worked on her cardio, weight training and had a mannequin all geared up for the sport on which she poked and stabbed.

She competed at the 2023 World Championships as well as the last two Americas Championships collecting a gold and three silver against her continental rivals.

She missed a berth on the 2016 Paralympic team by only four points. After a down period, she was revitalized in 2019 when she realized she still had the abilities to compete with the best. She made her Games debut in sabre at Tokyo 2020. The weapon was added to the women’s program after Rio.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2000, 2012, 2020 Paralympic Games…

PERSONAL
Started wheelchair fencing in 1996… Also enjoys archery… Had her right leg amputated below the knee following a car accident in 1993… Ran a fencing school for 15 years until 2013…

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

  • 2024 Americas Championships sabre 3rd
  • 2024 Americas Championships foil 3rd
  • 2024 Americas Championships epee 3rd
  • 2023 World Championships sabre 33rd
  • 2022 Americas Championships sabre 1st
  • 2020 Paralympic Games sabre 14th
  • 2020 Paralympic Games foil 15th
  • 2019 World Championships sabre 20th
  • 2018 Americas Championships sabre 1st
  • 2017 World Championships sabre 16th
  • 2016 Americas Championships foil 2nd
  • 2016 Americas Championships epee 3rd
  • 2015 World Championships epee 23rd
  • 2015 Americas Championships epee 1st
  • 2015 Americas Championships foil 2nd
  • 2013 World Championships sabre 10th
  • 2012 Paralympic Games epee 12th
  • 2011 Americas Championships epee 1st
  • 2011 Americas Championships foil 2nd
  • 2011 World Championships sabre 7th
  • 2010 World Championships sabre 8th
  • 2010 World Championships epee 10th
  • 2002 World Championships epee 8th
  • 2000 Paralympic Games epee 10th
  • 2000 Paralympic Games foil 11th