Obstacles & Opportunities

Keely Shaw is a Paralympic cyclist who won Canada’s first medal of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games—a bronze! She has two more races coming up, and she graciously took the time to chat with us FROM TOKYO.

Keely’s story is a roller coaster! Dreams of playing Olympic hockey, a fall from a horse, a brain injury resulting in left-sided weakness, and struggles with disordered eating. Keely’s determination shines through, and once she discovered para sport, there was no stopping her. She began her cycling career in 2017, and found her first World Championships podium in 2019!

Not only is Keely an elite cyclist, she’s also working on her PhD… pretty much specializing in sport and chocolate. For real.

Keely shared her incredible story with us as well as valuable lessons learned along the way. Enjoy our conversation, and best of luck with your next races, Keely!

Episode art adapted from image by Jean Baptiste.

@keelyshaw10 on Instagram and @keelyshaw14 on Twitter :)