A few days before she was set to compete at the Paris Paralympics, Canadian canoeist Brianna Hennessy said she was overwhelmed by emotion.
In canoe, Para athletes are fully integrated with their able-bodied counterparts. The entire Team Canada comes together for training camps, and international competitions include both sides of the sport, too.
Except at the Olympics and Paralympics. "This is the only world-stage event where we're separated or segregated," Hennessy said.
Hennessy, the 39-year-old from Ottawa, is in Paris for her second Paralympics and looking to reach her first podium. She'll compete in the women's KL1 200-metre kayak singles and VL2 200m va'a singles events beginning Friday at Vaires-sur-Marne Stadium.
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