Erica Scarff

Erica Scarff started paddling in 2013 when it was suggested to her by her current coach Mari Ellery at a prosthetic clinic. Scarff, a gymnast before her amputation, was already into sports as a teenager despite her disability dabbling in swimming, cycling and alpine skiing. She actually had to chose between racing on slopes or on flatwater.

Scarff, a 2016 Paralympic Games finalist, burst on the national scene in 2013 earning a gold medal in the K-1 200-m at the Canadian championships. She’s been a finalist at the last four world championships, topped by a fourth place finish in 2017.

At age 12, Scarff was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer that Terry Fox had. She says she is inspired by how Fox fought the cancer and was able to launch his Marathon of Hope.