Quick facts

Birthdate

October 31, 1968

Hometown

Niagara Falls, ON

Residence

Niagara Falls, ON

Sport

Para Cycling

Classification

T1

Experience

Guadalajara 2011

Rio 2016

Santiago 2023

Tokyo 2020

Toronto 2015

Almost 15 years after claiming her first world title, Shelley Gautier is still a regular on the podium at major international events.

In 2023, at age 54, Gautier collected bronze medals in the women’s T1 road race and the time trial at the UCI Cycling World Championships  in Glasgow, Scotland. 

In 2021 she competed at her third Paralympic Games posting two top-10 finishes.

In the final 2018 World Cup standings, Gautier finished off an incredible road season that saw her sweep all six World Cup events – three time trials and three road races – for a perfect 360 points, in addition to her two world championship titles.

Gautier has raced at three Paralympic Games (London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020) with the highlight a bronze medal in the women’s T1 time trial in 2016.

Gautier was a silver medallist at the mixed time trial event at the 2015 Parapan American Games. She also founded the Shelley Gautier Para-Sport Foundation to bring Para sport to more people with a disability. 

In 2015 Gautier was honoured with The Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Alumni Association Above & Beyond Award by the University of Toronto. Gautier was also inducted into the Inaugural Toronto Sports Hall of Honour and awarded the Sports Niagara Para-Athlete of the Year in Para Cycling.

In 2001, Gautier was in a mountain biking accident and suffered a severe head injury leaving her in a coma for six weeks. She now leads an independent life as a hemiplegic (with paralysis on one side of the body).

Within a year she was back on a bike again and by 2007 she was racing 50 kilometres.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

18-time world champion… 2012, 2016, 2020 Paralympic Games (bronze in 2016 time trial)…In 2019 the inaugural winner of the Best Female category at the Canadian Cyclist Awards… Also named one of the ‘Top 10 Canadian cyclists of the decade’… Nominated for 2015 Laureus Award as Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability… 2011, 2015 Parapan American Games… 

PERSONAL
Launched Shelley Gautier Para Sport Foundation in 2014…Donates her time to several different programs at the University of Toronto including the anatomy and occupational therapy departments… Degrees in physical education from the University of Western Ontario and in physical therapy from the University of Toronto.

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

2023 World Championships, road race, 3rd

2023 World Championships, individual time trial, 3rd

2021 Paralympic Games, road race, 5th

2021 Paralympic Games, road race, 8th

2021 World Championships, road race, 1st

2021 World Championships, time trial 1st

2019 World Championships, road race, 2nd

2019 World Championships, time trial, 3rd

2018 World Championships, time trial, 1st

2018 World Championships, road race, 1st

2017 World Championships, time trial, 1st

2017 World Championships, road race, 1st

2016 Paralympic Games, individual time trial, 3rd

2016 Paralympic Games, road race, 6th

2015 Parapan Am Games, time trial, 2nd

2015 World Championship, road race, 1st

2015 World Championship, time trial, 1st

2014 World Championships, road race, 1st

2014 World Championships, time trial, 1st

2013 World Championships, road race, 1st

2013 World Championships, time trial, 1st

2012 Paralympic Games, road race 14th

2012 Paralympic Games, time trial 11th

2011 Parapan Am Games time trial 2nd

2011 World Championships, road race, 1st

2011 World Championships, time trial, 1st

2010 World Championships, road race, 1st

2010 World Championships, time trial, 1st

2009 World Championships, road race, 1st

2009 World Championships, time trial, 1st

Paralympic Medals

1