Canada's Katarina Roxon racing towards 5th Paralympic Games after break from the pool

Katarina Roxon's swimming journey started for safety reasons.

Now the Canadian Paralympic champion is racing toward what could be her fifth Games.

Roxon, of Kippens, N.L., was born with her left arm missing below her elbow, and got involved in swimming at age five because her parents thought that it was an essential skill to learn.

Led by her father and coach, Leonard Roxon, her Paralympic dream set off.

Roxon was later advised it would be best to move to a bigger centre in Canada to train but opted to stay home and carve out her own path.

"I didn't want to leave. I love Newfoundland. When Newfoundlanders support you, it's like your family," Roxon told World Para Swimming.

WATCH | Katarina Roxon motivated by support of her home province:

At 15, Roxon was the youngest swimmer on the Beijing 2008 Canadian Paralympic team.

Eight years later at Rio 2016, Roxon claimed her first Paralympic medal — gold in the 100-metre breaststroke SB8 in Canadian record time.

"The response back home was nuts," Roxon told World Para Swimming. "I was not expecting that at all. My phone was blowing up, so I didn't even look at it because I still had a few more races to go."

The celebrations continued with a victory parade when Roxon arrived back in Newfoundland and Labrador. "There was this huge crowd of people at the airport and I was just in awe."

In response to her tremendous achievements and as part of the festivities, Highway Route 490, which leads the Trans-Canada Highway toward Roxon's hometown, was renamed Katarina Roxon Way by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In 2018, Roxon was appointed to the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador. She is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

In 2021, Roxon