Ottawa – For Paris 2024 silver medallist Brianna Hennessy, there’s something incredibly powerful about being seen.
Brianna shares her story. About knowing that someone out there believes in you, not because they have to, but because they choose to.
That’s what you’ve given me. After my accident, I lost a part of myself — the identity I had known as an elite athlete, and the sense of direction that came with it. But sport had always been at the forefront of my life growing up, and finding my way back through Para sport gave me something I didn’t think I’d feel again: purpose.
Para sport became my rehab — physically, mentally, and emotionally. It gave me back my identity. It gave me a future. It quite literally saved my life.
Today, I’m proud to be a two-time Paralympian. Last year at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, I won a historic silver medal in Para canoe — the first ever Paralympic podium for Canada in the sport – and had the immense honour of being co-flag bearer for Canada at the Closing Ceremony. I also play wheelchair rugby internationally and advocate passionately for inclusion in sport across Canada.