A remarkable season for one of Prince George’s most memorable athletes was capped off with another award for the 2019-20 trophy case.
Kady Dandeneau was selected by Wheelchair Basketball Canada as its Female Athlete of the Year after leading her provincial and national squads to several accolades this past year, including a ticket to the Tokyo Summer Paralympics.
The UNBC Timberwolves’ graduate made an appearance last month at the school’s sixth annual Legacy Breakfast as the first alumni to be the keynote speaker.
.@kadydandeneau7 was in #cityofpg in March for the @UNBCATHLETICS
— jess fedigan (@jj_fedigan) April 18, 2020
Legacy Breakfast. "I’m just super proud to say that I was a Timberwolf and to be represented by them, the current Timberwolf athletes, is just amazing." #runasone #unbc #twolves @CanadaWest (photos by me). pic.twitter.com/W6l3s55l9H
She reflected on the post-secondary’s dedication to sports and the steps it provided her to get to a high-level of competition, even though injuries forced her stand-up basketball career ot be cut short.
“I love UNBC, I love this program, I love this city, Prince George, so when I was asked to come back it was a huge honour and, of course, I was like ‘Absolutely, anything to make it happen, let’s do it.’ You get so much support from anyone, there were so many great athletes here today.”
Dandeneau is considered to be one of the world’s top athletes in her sport.
She and Team Canada won gold at the 2019 ParaPanAm Games in Peru, topping the United States in a come-from-behind 61-40 finals’ victory.
The Pender Island product also dominated at the club level for the Toronto Rollin’ Raptors, winning gold and tournament MVP in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Division II Finals.
“It’s a huge honour,” said Dandeneau in a release about her Athlete of the Year honour.
“It’s been quite a process getting to this point. A lot of hard work, a lot of effort and a lot of time, not just by me but by everyone who has supported me along the way.
“I’m also very grateful for the team that I have, that I get to practice with every day and that I get to go into competition with. They always have my back, they’re always so supportive. They’re just a great bunch. I’m really happy that it’s them that I get to go on this journey with.”
Dandeneau also plays in the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League.
She won two bronze medals this past season; one with the B.C. Royals at nationals and one with the B.C. Breakers at women’s nationals in addition to another MVP nod.
In the UNBC record books, she currently sits in the top 10 in six different women’s basketball categories, including three in the top five:
- Third = 12.8 points-per-game in BCCAA
- Fourth = 321 rebounds in BCCAA
- Fifth = 983 all-time points
- Sixth = 12.1 all-time points-per-game
- Seventh = 408 all-time rebounds
- 10th = 147 all-time assists
The following list is Dandeneau’s collegiate accomplishments:
- 2008 = UNBC Rookie of the Year, BCCAA All-Rookie Team, BCCAA Championship
- 2009 = BCCAA Provincial Tournament All-Star
- 2010 = BCCAA Second Team All-Star
- 2012 = BCCAA Championship, CCAA Nationals Second-Team All-Star
She'll also have to wait at least a year to represent her country after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were pushed to 2021 due to risks stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
