Paralympic wheelchair racer Jessica Frotten named to Regina Sports Hall of Fame

Yukon-born Paralympian Jessica Frotten is set to be inducted to the Regina Sports Hall of Fame in her adopted home province of Saskatchewan.

“It’s pretty cool,” Frotten told CBC Sports, after the announcement was made. “There’s some phenomenal athletes that have come out of Regina. So it’s an honour to be a part of that, for sure.”

Frotten had a long career as a wheelchair racer, including competing in the 2020 Paralympic Games as part of the para-athletics team. At those games, she raced in the T53 400m, 800m, 1500m, and the mixed 4x100m relay.

She won two bronze medals at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto and set Canadian records in the 400m and 800m, with 17 medals in national competitions, six of which were gold.

Frotten began her career in wheelchair racing after she was diagnosed with a spinal cord injury following a car accident in 2009. She attended her first track meets in 2013, with her first world championship appearance two years later.

Born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, Frotten spent a lot of her career living and training in Saskatchewan, making the announcement all the more special.

“I will always and forever be a Yukoner, but my athletic career really started in and grew here. So yeah, it’s awesome to be recognized,” she said.

In 2023, she received Saskatchewan Sport’s “Inspire Through Sport” Award, for her work uplifting Saskatchewan’s amateur sport community. She also supported the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s partnership with Trans Canada Trail and AccessNow, helping map the accessibility of the Wascana Valley Trails in Regina.

The induction ceremony is set to be held in Regina on October 10.