Canada's World Champions - Female Paracyclists

Shelley at the Para Pan American Games

Shelley with her Medal

Guadalajara 2011: Day 7 Team Canada

Guadalajara 2011: Day 1 Team Canada

An Incredible Journey

On a bike-riding holiday to Mount Snow, Vt. in 2001, Shelley Gauthier remembers having a great day, crashing through the trails on her mountain bike ... and then something went wrong.

Gauthier woke up from a coma six weeks later to realize that she couldn't talk, she couldn't remember how to read and she was completely paralyzed on the right side of her body.
It would take her months of rehab just to be able to leave the hospital and years of continually pushing her body and mind to reacquire what so many of us take for granted.
"I was pushing myself because I just wanted to be a normal human being, living a normal everyday life."
Somewhere along that journey, the focus changed in the most positive sense, because Gauthier is not just another person you pass on the street. Spend a short amount of time with her and you quickly realize that she is so much more – after all, it's not every day that you get to meet a world champion cyclist.
Last month, the Niagara Falls native won a World Cup race as a Team Canada member in Roskilde, Denmark in the Female T1 See More

The Team

Alan Greer – Campaign Manager.

Eric Van Den Eynde, Head Coach of the Canadian Paracycling Team– Lead Coach: Eric is masterminding Shelley’s coaching and speed development process. His past Paralympic cycling coaching experience is instrumental in the overall campaign strategy.  

Sebastian Travers, Assistant Coach of the Canadian Paracycling Team

Arnaud Litou - Paracycling Coordinator of the Canadian Paracycling Team

Michael Van Dusen – Political Media Coordinator: Michael is working to ensure provincial and national support on Shelley’s journey to become Canada’s first female Paralympic Trike racer.

Hank Boorsboom – Accountant.
Mechanics: Pete Lily and his team from Sweet Pete's maintain and continually improve the performance of Shelley’s racing trike, tandem bicycle and recumbent trike. The mechanical team is also assisting in sourcing the preferred racing trike parts and together ensure that Shelley has a premier custom racing trike.
Jamie Meikle, Derek Baker, Shawn Gouler and Gord Preisler – Members of the Mechanical Team.
Monica Cranwell: Shelley’s designated safety rider for the first official time trial in Ontario.
Darcy O'Conner, Trish More, Mike Letourneau: All  have helped Shelley with Meals and Accomodation.        
Adam (Chico) Ruppel: Chico has provided the tanden bicycle for training .
Andy Marsillo, Ron McKee, Lap Dogs Cycling Club and Michael Cranwell

Heather Jackson- Scheduler: Heather helped with registering Shelley for races.
Pat McKee – Medical Coordinator: Pat is coordinating the medical and therapeutic components for Shelley, which involves the adaptations used for physical training required to ensure top performance.
Anne Agur – Occupational Therapist: Anne understands Shelley’s physical constraints and are working closely with Pat McKee.
Gordon Ruder -Clinical Orthodic Consultants: Gord has made a riding leg brace for Shelley. It allows her pedaling to be smooth circles.
Suzanne Letourneau- Number one motivator and Proud Mom.
Bettina Kuypers – Marketing Coordinator.
Amna Syeda, Isma Zulfiqar and Club Z Team - Computer Technologists: Work hard to let everyone know Shelley's progress via the Blog and Facebook.
John Rowland, Dixie and Bob Jones, Brian Neysmith, John Neysmith, Ernie Gautier (Proud Dad): Financial Supporters

Margot Greer, Marcel Despres,Stephen Burke, Ann Burnell, Heather Donaldson, Scott Moody,Cameron Grout, Danny McCoy, Bill Milne,

Jodi Bussiere, Paul Piccininni, Ed Gautier:All have helped in ways too numerous to mention