The Canadian Paralympic Committee and Wheelchair Basketball Canada has officially announced 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.
And one of the members is a former UNBC Timberwolves player.
Kady Dandeneau will join athletes from across the country on Team Canada for the women's wheelchair basketball component of the Games.
Dandeneau, 34, was an all-star standup basketball player for the Timberwolves from 2007 to 2013. After injuries prevented her from continuing the standup game, she began playing wheelchair basketball in 2015 after being introduced to it by fellow Pender Island native and former Team Canada coach Tim Frick.
The team also includes:
- Rosalie Lalonde (Saint-Clet, Que.)
- Élodie Tessier (Saint-Germain de Grantham, Que.)
- Arinn Young (Legal, Alta.)
- Cindy Ouellet (Quebec City, Que.)
- Tamara Steeves (Mississauga, Ont.)
- Puisand Lai (Toronto, Ont.)
- Tara Llanes (North Vancouver, B.C.)
- Bethany Johnson (Winnipeg, Man.)
- Sofia Fassi-Fehri (Montreal, Que.)
- Melanie Hawtin (Oakville, Ont.)
- Desiree Isaac-Pictou (Eel River Bar First Nation, N.B.)
All 12 athletes who won silver at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago are returning for the 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 Ouellet and Llanes. Dandeneau, Lai, Tessier and Llanes will be competing at their second Paralympic Games, while Johnson, Isaac-Pictou and Fassi-Fehri will make their Games debuts in Paris.
Young, Hawtin and Lalonde will compete in their third Games, and 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.”
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 Sept. 3 and the women’s quarterfinals a day later.
“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,” said Karolina Wisniewska, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. “It’s going to be so exciting to cheer them on in Paris.”
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.
