November 14, 2023
Canadian athletes are once again descending on Santiago, Chile as the city plays host to the 2023 Parapan American Games which will commence with the Opening Ceremonies on November 17.
Joining Team Canada at the Games will be seven athletes, two coaches and one support staff with ties to Saskatchewan. There are 140 athletes that make up Team Canada and will compete in 14 events. Many of the athletes will work toward qualifying Canada and or themselves for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Here’s more on the athletes, coach and support staff with ties to Saskatchewan:
Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk, Men’s Wheelchair Basketball
This year’s Parapan American Games, will mark the third straight appearance for Regina’s Goncin who also competed in in 2015 and 2019. The two-time Canadian Paralympic athlete will look to help Canada improve on their previous Parapan Am silver-medal finishes.
Joining him in this endeavour will be fellow Regina athlete Ostepchuk who will be making his Parapan Am Games debut following his 2020 Paralympic debut.
| Round | Date | Sask. Time | Chile Time | Result |
| Preliminary vs. Chile | Saturday, Nov. 18 | 5:30 p.m. | 20:30 | Canada def. Chile 80-17 (Goncin – 10 points; Ostepchuk – 8 points) |
| Preliminary vs. Venezuela | Sunday, Nov. 19 | 1:00 p.m. | 13:00 | Canada def. Venezuela 82-42 (Goncin – 17 points; Ostepchuk – 7 points) |
| Preliminary vs. Argentina | Monday, Nov. 20 | 5:30 p.m. | 20:30 | Canada def. Argentina 56-49 (Goncin – 2 points; Ostepchuk – 4 points) |
| Quarterfinals vs. Puerto Rico | Wednesday, Nov. 22 | 3:15 p.m. | 18:15 | Canada def. Puerto Rico 88-31 (Goncin – 21 points; Ostepchuk – 7 points) |
| Semifinals vs. Colombia | Friday, Nov. 24 | 7:30 a.m. | 10:30 | Canada def. by Colombia 64-53 (Goncin – 15 points; Ostepchuk – 2 points) |
| Bronze Medal Final | Saturday, Nov. 25 | 11:30 a.m. | 14:30 |
Mitch McIntyre, Wheelchair Tennis – Quad Singles & Doubles
Esterhazy product, McIntyre will be making a return to the Games after competing at Lima 2019.
He will join Canada’s largest wheelchair tennis team ever to attend a multi-sport event and will compete in the quad men’s singles and doubles events.
| Round | Date | Sask. Time | Chile Time | Result |
| Singles – Round of 16 | Monday, Nov. 20 | Events start at 5:00 a.m. | Events start at 8:00 | Def. Edison Molina (Ecuador) 2-0 (6-2, 6-3) |
| Singles – Quarterfinals | Tuesday, Nov. 21 | 11:00 a.m. | 11:00 | Def. by Francisco Cayulef (Chile) 0-2 (3-6, 2-6) Finished 5th overall |
| Doubles with Robert Shaw – Quarterfinals | Tuesday, Nov. 21 | Events start at 2:00 p.m. | Events start at 17:00 | Def. by Andrew Bogdanov and David Wagner (United States) 1-2 (3-6, 6-3, 10-2) Finished 5th overall |
Brendan Cote-Williamson, Para Athletics – T47 Racing
Cote-Williamson is making his debut at the Parapan American Games, traveling from Saskatoon to Chile for the event.
He has attended two national multi-sporting events, including the 2023 North American Indigenous Games in Halifax, where he claimed one gold and three bronze medals.
Keely Shaw, Para Cycling
Shaw, who hails from Midale is no stranger to international competition. She claimed Canada’s first medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, winning bronze in the women’s individual pursuit. More recently, Shaw attended the 2023 World Championships in Scotland and was awarded silver.
| Round | Date | Sask. Time | Chile Time | Result |
| C1-C5 Road Individual Time Trial | Sunday, Nov. 19 | 7:30 a.m. | 10:30 | Time – 15:34.08 Finished 4th |
| C1-C5 Track 500-metre Individual Time Trial Final | Thursday, Nov. 23 | 12:38 p.m. | 3:38 | Time – 40.179 Finished 7th |
| C4-C5 Track 3000-metre Individual Pursuit Qualification | Friday, Nov. 24 | 1:20 p.m. | 16:20 | Time – 3:46.931 Finished 1st, advanced to the final |
| C4-C5 Track 3000-metre Individual Pursuit Gold Final | Friday, Nov. 24 | 4:35 p.m. | 19:35 | |
| C4-C5 Road Race Final | Sunday, Nov. 26 | 7:45 a.m. | 10:45 |
Wyatt Lightfoot, Para Badminton – SH6 Individual
Lightfoot made his debut at the 2019 Lima Parapan Am Games, when he placed fourth in singles and reached quarterfinals at the Pan Am Championships in 2022.
Alongside his doubles partner, Justin Kendrick, Lightfoot also claimed bronze at the Pan Am Championships.
| Round | Date | Sask. Time | Chile Time | Result |
| Qualifying Round | Wednesday, Nov. 22 | Matches start at 8:00 a.m. | Matches start at 11:00 | Def. Jonatan Mattos (Argentina) 2-0 (21-5, 21-14) |
| Qualifying Round | Wednesday, Nov. 22 | Matches start at 2:30 p.m. | Matches start at 17:30 | Def. by Jacob Krajewski (United States) 0-2 (6-21, 10-21) |
| Qualifying Round | Thursday, Nov. 23 | Matches start at 8:00 a.m. | Matches start at 11:00 | Def. Pablo Puga Colma (Chile) 2-0 (21-5, 21-7) |
| Quarterfinals | Friday, Nov. 24 | Events at 12:30 p.m. | Events at 15:30 | Def. by Hector Salva (Peru) 1-2 (17-21, 21-19, 11-21) Finished 5th overall |
Myriam Soliman, Para Swimming
Born in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, but training in Saskatoon, Soliman is returning to the Parapan Am stage for the second time, last competing at Lima 2019.
She competed in seven events at that Games reaching the final in each of them and taking home the bronze in the women’s S6 100-metre backstroke.
| Round | Date | Sask. Time | Chile Time | Result |
| 200-m Individual Medley Final SM7 | Saturday, Nov. 18 | 6:44 a.m. | 09:44 | Time – 3:50.47 Finished 6th |
| 100-m Breaststroke Final SB7 | Monday, Nov. 20 | 6:08 a.m. | 09:08 | Time – 2:20.05 Finished 6th |
| 100-m Backstroke Final S7 | Tuesday, Nov. 21 | 7:08 a.m. | 10:08 | Time – 1:44.60 Finished 6th |
| 50-m Butterfly Final S7 | Wednesday, Nov. 22 | 7:04 a.m. | 10:04 | Time – 44.63 Finished 4th |
| 50-m Freestyle Heats S8 | Wednesday, Nov. 22 | N/A | N/A | Time – 39.87 Finished 6th, did not advance to final. |
| Mixed 4×100-m Medley Relay – 34 points | Wednesday, Nov. 22 | 4:47 p.m. | 19:47 | Time – 5:38.28. Finished 6th |
| 100-m Freestyle Heat S7 | Friday, Nov. 24 | 6:48 a.m. | 09:48 | Time – 1:30.44 Finished 5th, advanced to final |
| 100-m Freestyle Final S7 | Friday, Nov. 24 | 2:11 p.m. | 17:11 | Time – 1:30.56 Finished 8th |
| Mixed 4×100-m Freestyle Relay 34 points | Friday, Nov. 24 | 4:07 p.m. | 19:07 |
Coaches
Frank Gaudet, Coach – Para Badminton
Regina’s Gaudet made his first international debut at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games and will guide the Canadian Para badminton team through their time in Chile.
Carla Nicholls, Coach – Para Athletics
Nicholls, who hails from Regina, is no stranger to the international sport stage having attended three Olympic Games and one Paralympic Games in the past. She’ll bring her expertise with her to Chile to assist Canada’s Para athletics competitors.
Support Staff
Al Bodnarchuk, Massage – Para Athletics
Al Bodnarchuk is a Saskatoon based Massage Therapist who has attended four Olympic Games, in 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2008.
He will be an integral support staff member for the Games, attending with athletics for massage.