Oakville's Melanie Hawtin will head to Paris next month to represent Canada at the Paralympic Games in wheelchair basketball.
Born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, Hawtin has overcome challenges to excel in wheelchair basketball, representing Canada on the international stage and playing professionally in France and Italy.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee and Wheelchair Basketball Canada officially announced yesterday the athletes nominated to the men's and women's teams set to represent Canada in wheelchair basketball at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in August.
Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team – WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL (WOMEN):
- Kady Dandeneau – Pender Island, BC
- Sofia Fassi-Fehri – Montreal, QC
- Melanie Hawtin – Oakville, ON
- Desiree Isaac-Pictou – Eel River Bar First Nation, NB
- Bethany Johnson – Winnipeg, MB
- Rosalie Lalonde – Saint-Clet, QC
- Puisand Lai – Toronto, ON
- Tara Llanes – North Vancouver, BC
- Cindy Ouellet – Quebec City, QC
- Tamara Steeves – Mississauga, ON
- Élodie Tessier – Saint-Germain de Grantham, QC
- Arinn Young – Legal, AB
All 12 athletes who won silver at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago are returning for the 2024 Paralympic Games.
The squad qualified for the Paris Games with a commanding 88-30 victory over Algeria at the Women's IWBF Repechage Tournament in Osaka, Japan in April. Canada finished fifth at the 2022 world championships in Dubai and fifth at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
"We are excited to announce our roster for the Paris Paralympic Games," said Michèle Sung, head coach of the Senior Women's National Team. "Over the past few months, our team has shown incredible dedication, progress, and commitment to improving daily. Their hard work and determination have them prepared to compete at the highest level on the world stage in Paris."
Nine athletes who represented Canada at the Tokyo Games will compete in Paris, including captains Cindy Ouellet and Tara Llanes. Kady Dandeneau, Puisand Lai, Élodie Tessier and Llanes will be competing at their second Paralympic Games, while Bethany Johnson, Desiree Isaac-Pictou and Sofia Fassi-Fehri will make their Games debuts in Paris.
Arinn Young, Melanie Hawtin and Rosalie Lalonde will compete in their third Games, and Tamara Steeves will make her fourth appearance with the Canadian Paralympic Team.
"We have a really good group," said Ouellet, who is headed to her fifth summer Games. "We've got everything physically and mentally. We've got a mix of fast athletes and experienced athletes. I think we have a good team all around to compete well. We're going into this summer confident."
Canada will compete in Pool A in Paris against Great Britain, China and Spain. The women open the tournament against China on Aug. 29.
"The coaches have changed the mentality in our team's core," Ouellet said. "We just want to prove that we're not a fifth-place team and can reach that final game."
Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team – WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL (MEN)
- Patrick Anderson – Fergus, ON
- Vincent Dallaire – Quebec City, QC
- Reed De'Aeth – Sherwood Park, AB
- Nik Goncin – Regina, SK
- Bo Hedges – Wonowon, BC
- Colin Higgins – Rothesay, NB
- Chad Jassman – Calgary, AB
- Lee Melymick – Toronto, ON
- Tyler Miller – Kitchener, ON
- Blaise Mutware – Toronto, ON
- Garrett Ostepchuk – Regina, SK
- Jonathan Vermette – Sherbrooke, QC
Eleven members of the team that competed at the Tokyo Paralympic Games are returning for Paris, including captains Bo Hedges and Nik Goncin. Veteran Patrick Anderson will make his sixth Paralympic appearance, while Tyler Miller will participate in his fourth Games.
"We have an exciting roster heading to Paris with a good mix of experience and talent," said Matteo Feriani, Senior Men's National Team head coach. "Our athletes are hungry and have a lot of desire to show up at the highest level in the toughest competition ever faced in wheelchair basketball."
Vincent Dallaire, Colin Higgins, Lee Melymick, Blaise Mutware, and Garrett Ostepchuk will compete in their second Games. Reed De'Aeth is the rookie on the roster making his Paralympic debut, and Chad Jassman and Jonathan Vermette will make their third appearance.
Canada qualified for the Paralympic Games with a thrilling 72-60 victory over Italy at the Men's IWBF Repechage Tournament in Antibes, France in April. The men finished eighth at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, sixth at the 2022 world championships, and won a bronze medal in Santiago at the 2023 Parapan American Games.
"It's cool to qualify for the Paralympics no matter how you do it, and that added an extra layer – winning that quarterfinal and being in that scenario at the repechage tournament," said Hedges, who is headed to his fifth Games. "It was great to qualify, get to Paris, and now be one of the top eight teams playing for a medal at the Paralympics."
The men will compete in Pool A against Great Britain, Germany, and France in Paris. Canada opens the Games against the host France on Aug. 30.
"It's always amazing to play the host team in the tournament; we get them first, that'll be a neat experience," Hedges added. "There will be so much energy, and it'll be a lot of fun to play them. The group itself – there are no easy teams, no easy group. All eight teams are going to be a challenge, so we'll have a bunch of tough games in the round-robin and then see how the quarterfinals go. It's not an easy go, but it'll be fun."
The wheelchair basketball tournaments will take place Aug. 29 to Sept. 8 at Bercy Arena in Paris. The preliminary rounds conclude Sept. 2, with the men's quarterfinals set for September 3 and the women's quarterfinals a day later.
"A huge congratulations to all 24 wheelchair basketball athletes nominated to compete for Canada at the Games," said Karolina Wisniewska, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. "This is such an incredible group of athletes, with so many experienced and decorated Paralympians as well as several exciting athletes headed to their first Games. It's going to be so exciting to cheer them on in Paris."
"I am so pleased to welcome both the women's and men's wheelchair basketball teams to the Canadian Paralympic Team," said Josh Vander Vies, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. "The wheelchair basketball tournaments in Paris are going to be so fierce, competitive, and exciting, and I know both squads will be ready to get out on the court. We wish them the best of luck and the entire country will be behind them."
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will take place Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 in Paris, France. Canada is expecting to send a team of approximately 130 athletes.
Prior to being officially named to the Canadian Paralympic Team, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Paralympic Committee. The current list of nominated athletes can be found HERE. The approved final roster will be announced closer to the start of the Games.