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

Shelley's Interview Right After Winning

SHELLEY RIGHT AFTER GETTING THE MEDAL

SHELLEY CYCLING THE TIME TRIAL EVENT

Canada adds two more titles at Para-Cycling World Championships

CANADIAN CYCLING ASSOCIATION

2011.09.11

CANADA ADDS TWO MORE WORLD TITLES TO ITS COLLECTION AT UCI PARA-CYCLING WORLDS

Tricyclists Gautier and Croteau win second World Titles at 2011 Para-cycling World Championships

(Roskilde, DEN – September 11, 2011) Shelley Gauthier of Toronto, Ont. and Marie-Ève Croteau of Québec, QC both won the World Titles in their respective categories at the 2011 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Roskilde, Denmark on Sunday. Both taking their second rainbow jersey in as many races for these two Canadian women racing in Tricycle categories.

In the women’s tandem, the defending World Champion tandem of Robbi Weldon of Thunder Bay, Ont. and Lyne Bessette of Knowlton, Qué. finished fifth of the women’s tandem race, which ended in a bunch sprint won.

Canada concludes these Para-cycling World Championships with an all-time high five World titles, as well as a silver medal by Marie-Claude Molnar of Sainte-Adèle, Que. in the C4 road race, and a bronze medal by Mark Ledo of Maple, Ont. in the H3 road race.

Canada also ranked as the top nation in the women’s ranking at these Championships, all categories.

Complete results for all categories can be found on www.uci.ch.

The Canadian Cycling Association is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. Founded in 1882, the CCA aims to create and sustain an effective system that develops talented Canadian cyclists to achieve Olympic, Paralympic and World Championship medal performances. With the vision to be a leading competitive cycling nation by 2020 celebrating enhanced international success, increased a participation and world class event hosting, the CCA manages the National teams, hosts national and international events, and administers community programs to promote Cycling in Canada. For more information, please visit: www.canadian-cycling.com.

.:: Canadian Cycling Association ::.

Canada grabs three titles at Para-Cycling World Championships

CANADIAN CYCLING ASSOCIATION

2011.09.09

CANADA GRABS THREE TITLES AT PARA-CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Weldon/Bessette, Gautier and Croteau win World Titles in time trials at Para-cycling World Championships

(Rokslide, DEN – September 9, 2011) Three Canadian riders have won World titles at the 2011 UCI Para-Cycling Championships in Rokslide, Denmark, with the tandem of Robbi Weldon (Thunder Bay, ON) and Lyne Bessette (Knowlton, QC), Shelley Gautier (Toronto, ON) and Marie-Ève Croteau (Québec, QC) all winning the prestigious titles and the rainbow jerseys in the time trial races, on this second day of competition.

Robbi Weldon and Lyne Bessette won their first World championships title in the time trials, doing so in their second participation at the prestigious World Championships event. Last year, Canada’s top tandem won the road race Championships title in Baie-Comeau, Canada, and they will defend their jersey on Sunday.

In winning the World Championships title in the T2 race, the surprising Marie-Ève Croteau capped off a dream season in her first year in cycling, winning the Canadian Championships as well as the 2011 UCI World Cup Title.

In the T1 race, Shelley Gautier also won the title and was presented with the rainbow jersey for the first time in her career. For years, Gautier rode alone in her category and could never receive the jersey as a minimum of three riders must be racing to award a jersey.

Racing at the 2011 UCI Para-Cycling World Championships resumes tomorrow with the first set of road races, and ends on Sunday with the remaining road races.

Complete results for all categories can be found on www.uci.ch.

The Canadian Cycling Association is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. Founded in 1882, the CCA aims to create and sustain an effective system that develops talented Canadian cyclists to achieve Olympic, Paralympic and World Championship medal performances. With the vision to be a leading competitive cycling nation by 2020 celebrating enhanced international success, increased a participation and world class event hosting, the CCA manages the National teams, hosts national and international events, and administers community programs to promote Cycling in Canada. For more information, please visit: www.canadian-cycling.com.

.:: Canadian Cycling Association ::.

THE TIME TRIALS

http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/getObject.asp?MenuId=MTYyMDk&ObjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=NzMwMDU&LangId=1

SHELLEY WINS THE GOLD!!!!

Shelley Gautier Wins Gold Medal AGAIN!

The Begining

The Beginning

Researched the sport of international trike racing.

Through Stephen Burke was put in touch with Stephan Chaput a trike racer from Drummondville, Quebec. Went to see Stephan and tried riding his racing trike. Visited the National Cycling Championships in St. George de Beauce, Quebec and there met with Louis Barbeau, President of The International Paracycling Association to enquire if there was a UCI racing trike that could be borrowed for training. Directed to Montreal’s Olympic Stadium where after much persuasion was given the loan of a UCI training trike.

Approached the people at Duke’s Cycle in Toronto to ask if they would be willing to make the borrowed UCI trike usable for training purposes. Duke’s was of course very obliging and fully prepared to help with all the mechanical constraints of the UCI trike. The mechanical team at Duke’s rebuilt the rear section of the trike and replaced all the missing parts. The trike was then brought to Jamie Meikle’s machine shop to have the rear axle straightened.

With the trike now ready for a test ride, went with some members of the Lapdog Cycling Club for the first ride at the Leslie Street Spit. Managed to maintain a constant speed of 15 km per hour.

Travelled to Calgary’s Olympic National Cycling Centre to participate in a training camp. There Program Coordinator and Head Coach, Stephen Burke, determined that there was a strong potential to succeed in becoming the first women trike racer to represent Canada in the 2012 Paralympics.

The Ontario Cycling Association then set up the first official time trial for a trike race near Stratford, Ontario. The time trial was a success. Chico (Adam Ruppel), donated a tandem bike for training purposes. Rode the tandem in the Prince Edward County 42 km marathon.

Began regular training sessions on both the tandem bike and the newly modified UCI trike. Continued with regular rides on recumbent trike as well.

Signed up for and started a weekly spinning training program at the GETSpinning club.

Race Results

On April 30 Shelley came in first as she is a T1.

Race results