Paralympic Games multi-medallist Keely Shaw puts brakes on Para cycling career

Para alpine skier Frédérique Turgeon also announced retirement

CALGARY – Canada’s Para cycling national team coach Sébastien Travers still recalls the first day he met Keely Shaw in 2018.

‘’It was at a training camp to prepare the riders for the national championships,’’ he said. ‘’She was a complete novice. She was there to fine-tune her positioning on a bike that was definitely not suited to her size and her ability.

‘’Still she took part in her first race on her too-small bike all while smiling ear-to ear and put in an impressive performance.’’

It was no mystery back then for Travers that this hockey player from Midale, Sask. already possessed the athletic talents to one day become a very successful Paralympic cyclist.

And that’s exactly what happened. Shaw developed into one of Canada’s perennial medal contenders on both the road and track. She earned two bronze medals in her two Paralympic Games appearances and six world championships medals.

The 31-year-old Shaw recently announced her retirement from competitive sport.

“I wanted to leave on my own accord, not because I was hurt or forced to stop,’’ she told CPC in an interview.  ‘’And I wanted to leave while I still loved riding my bike.”

Shaw acquired her disability in 2009 at age 15. She fell off a horse on her family farm and was diagnosed with a broken blood vessel in her brain which caused partial paralysis on her left side. Before her accident she was a high-level hockey player with Olympic dreams.

‘’I always knew my goal was two Paralympic Games,’’ said Shaw, who admitted she pondered her retirement decision for months. “Training takes a lot of time, not just training itself, but the recovery, the social things you have to turn down, the constant thinking about how a meal, for example, impacts performance.’’

Anyone who watched Shaw race live in the women’s C4 category knows the toll Para cycling at the highest level took on her. Her impairment becomes very evident after pushing her body to the limit.

She said that reality never factored in her decision to retire.

‘’It’s just part of racing,’’ Shaw said. ‘’It’s proof I left everything on the track. I never saw it as suffering – just part of what my body needed to do.’’

Travers said that kind of dedication remains imprinted on her teammates and her opponents.

“Her resilience left a strong impression on us,” said Travers. “Taking back control of her life after significant trauma, turning her limitations into strengths, and investing herself fully in pursuing her dream despite everyday obstacles.”

But Shaw’s impressive resume isn’t limited to her sport performance. Through her career she was also a brilliant student. From 2017-19 at the University of Saskatchewan, she worked on a Master of Science in kinesiology and exercise science with an 88 percent average.

Then from 2020 to 2023, she earned a PhD in kinesiology and exercise science with a focus on sport nutrition for high performance and special populations (female, Masters, and Para athletes).

Now living in Calgary, Shaw has embarked on a career where she works in research roles split between the University of Calgary’s School of Medicine and the Faculty of Kinesiology. Her bike is never far behind, and she says she rides seven to 10 hours a week.

Shaw leaves competition not only with medals but with great memories of being on the national team. Travers agrees her impact goes beyond the medals.

“Her presence within the team left its mark,’’ Travers said. “She raised the level challenging her teammates. She also knew how to lighten the atmosphere during rest periods with jokes or songs, always happy to contribute to the team’s positive spirit.’’

For Shaw, though, life goes on and new challenges await.

‘’It’s been an incredible chapter,’’ Shaw said. ‘’Now it’s time for the next one.’’

Para alpine skier Frédérique Turgeon also retires

Para alpine skier Frédérique Turgeon also recently announced her retirement from competitive sport.

Turgeon, 26, competed at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games placing ninth in the women’s standing giant slalom. She won three medals at the 2019 Para alpine world championships and headed to the 2022 Games as one of Canada’s top medal contenders.

Unfortunately, Turgeon crashed in a downhill training run just a day before the Beijing Paralympic Games. She tore her quad muscle and missed the Games.

“I would have liked to have a medal from the last Games – that’s what’s missing from my collection,’’ she told Radio-Canada.

She made a great comeback from that Beijing injury for the 2022-23 World Cup season. She was ranked second overall in the women’s World Cup standing downhill and won four medals for the season including a downhill gold.

But she was sidelined all of last season with an injury to her left knee.

“I did some tests, and my condition wasn’t improving,’’ she said. ‘’They were talking about a rehabilitation program that was going to be extended by about another six months, if not nine.’’

Nicknamed Fredski she also gained fame in Quebec with her appearances on the reality TV show Big Brother in 2024 and 2025.