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Not even out of her teens, Ashlyn Renneberg is about to introduce herself to the world.
The Saskatonian is in Paris, mere hours away from competing in her first Paralympic Games. Here are five things to know about Renneberg:
* The 19-year-old visually-impaired athlete will represent Canada in the women’s F13 javelin event on Saturday at 10 a.m. in Paris (2 a.m. in Saskatoon).
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According to the official classifications, athletes in the F13 class have a vision impairment that is severe enough to affect sport. The F13 competitors have the highest visual acuity of the F11, F12 and F13 athletes; F11s must use a guide for track events, while F12s may use a guide.
* When she was 13 years old, Renneberg was diagnosed with a brain tumour that would ultimately require two surgeries and lead to her vision impairment. (After the surgeries, she was declared legally blind in her right eye. She has 20/20 tunnel vision in her left eye.)
* Renneberg, who trains with Saskatoon Track and Field Club, says the health challenges she’s faced away from athletic fields have not affected her passion for competing.
“Although I had lost my vision to the sickness, it had never been able to take my love from sport,” she said in a recent Instagram post.
“I’d done other sports previously before track. Track was something that I could do, I just knew I would have to work way harder than before to do it. So, I spent countless hours at training and would push myself to do the best I could because I knew that one day it would pay off.”
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* It has been a record-setting year for the University of Saskatchewan student. Renneberg broke the Canadian F13 record twice, throwing 31.48 metres and then 31.59 metres. She also claimed gold at the under-20, senior Olympic and Paralympic qualifiers in Montreal.
* Renneberg will be joined by fellow Saskatchewan competitors Keely Shaw (para cycling), Jacob Wasserman (para rowing), Nik Goncin (wheelchair basketball), Garrett Ostepchuk (wheelchair basketball), Julie Kozun (sitting volleyball), Shelby Newkirk (para swimming), Nikita Ens (para swimming), Hannah Ouellette (para swimming) and Ryan Rousell (wheelchair fencing).
Coaches from Saskatchewan include John Wetzstein (para rowing), Carla Nicholls (para athletics), Frank Gaudet (para badminton) and Ryan Jones (para swimming).
The Paralympics run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.
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