Alison Levine Alison Levine

Alison Levine heads to the 2024 Paralympic Games on a high after a successful World Cup performance in Povoa, Portugal. Levine and her BC4 pairs partner Iulian Ciobanu won the gold medal while Levine added an individual bronze.

As of July 16, 2024, Levine is ranked second in the world in the women’s BC4 and third with Ciobanu in BC4 pairs.

In Portugal, the Levine and Ciobanu defeated the world number one brother and sister duo Leidy Chica Chica and Edilson Chica Chica of Colombia. That was the same team they upset for gold and Paralympic Games spot at the Parapan Pan Am Games in November 2023. The Canadians ended the year ranked number-one in the world.

In women’s individual BC4, Levine also won gold for the Paralympic spot at the Parapan Ams.

After a tough Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Levine rebounded at the 2022 world championships to win the bronze medal in pairs with partner Iulian Ciobanu. She was also fourth in singles.

A year later at the Parapan American Games in Santiago, she was a double gold medallist with victories in BC4 singles and pairs with teammate Iulian Ciobanue.

At her second Paralympic Games in 2020,  she lost two of her three matches in the preliminaries and did not advance to the playoff round in the BC4 individual event.  She was also part of Canada’s trio in the BC4 pairs competition.

She also won medals at her previous Parapan Am Games appearances – winning bronze in 2019 and silver in 2015, both in the BC4 pairs event.

In October 2019, Alison Levine rose to the No. 1 ranking in the world, the first woman to ever reach that height in the BC4 category in boccia. With the World Boccia rankings frozen since March 2020 due to the pandemic, Levine retained her No. 1 position heading into the Tokyo Games. Boccia has since split its mixed category into men’s and women’s divisions.

She had climbed to No. 2 in the world in the BC4 singles after her first career international victory at the Montreal World Open in May 2019, her biggest title to date. She also earned a bronze medal in pairs at the Lima 2019 Parapan Am Games.

In 2018 Levine reached new heights in international boccia as she placed fourth in the BC4 singles at the world championships in Liverpool, England. She came fifth at the 2016 Paralympic Games and was a silver medallist in mixed pairs at the 2015 Parapan American Games with Marco Dispaltro.

She is renowned for her powerhouse strength and the speed at which she has developed within the sport.

At 15, Levine started getting into sports. First, it was horseback riding. When she could no longer do that, she played wheelchair basketball and then rugby. She threw her first boccia ball in December 2012. The next month, she was competing provincially. Her first big result was a bronze in pairs at the Masters in 2014 in Portugal.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2015, 2019, 2023 Parapan American Games… 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games… 2018 and 2022 World Championships…

PERSONAL

Recruited into boccia by fellow BC4 athlete, Marco Dispaltro… In 2019 she was elected to the Canadian Paralympic Athletes’ Council and she is also co-chair of the Boccia Canada Athletes’ Council …  Regularly shares her story of how sport has positively impacted her life and provided her with independence to encourage others to get involved… She is a fan of the Montreal Canadiens… Her constant companion is her service dog, Ghia… Her mom, Roberta Fried-Levine is her competition partner

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

• 2023 Parapan American Games – Pairs BC 4 – Gold
• 2023 Parapan American Games – Singles BC4 – Gold
• 2022 World Championships – Pairs BC 4 – 3rd
• 2022 World Championships – Women’s individual – 4th
• 2021 Paralympic Games – Pairs BC4 – eliminated in preliminary round
• 2021 Paralympic Games – Singles BC4 – eliminated in preliminary round
• 2019 BISFed World Open in Brazil – Singles BC4 – Bronze
• 2019 BISFed World Open in Montreal – Singles BC4 – Gold
• 2018 World Championships – Singles BC4 – 4th
• 2018 World Championships – Pairs BC4 – 6th
• 2016 Paralympic Games – Singles BC4 – 5th
• 2016 Paralympic Games – Pairs BC4 – 6th
• 2015 Toronto Parapan American Games – Pairs Mixed- Silver