Canadian women with Paralympic medals hope to raise 'stoke level' for girls in sport

Through three days at the Beijing Paralympics, Canadians won 12 medals.

Although Canada raised its medal haul to 13 following day four, the initial dozen podiums were evenly split between men and women — a stat that, at first blush, wouldn't make you look twice.

That is, until you consider that just 14 of the 49 athletes listed on the initial Team Canada roster were women, and one was forced to drop out before the Games began due to injury.

Overall, these Games boast a record 138 women's Para athletes — a total which still represents just 24 per cent of athletes listed.

Some of Canada's female medallists in Beijing hope to inspire the next generation from the outside by using the podium as a platform, as well as on the inside by taking after their own coaching role models.

DeJong, 32, became Canada's first-ever Paralympic snowboard medallist when she crossed the finish line.

"Just [other women] seeing us out here, killing it, I'm hoping is going to bring that stoke level up and have more people out there think, 'Wow, I want to be out there doing that too. Look at these women out there,'" she said.

WATCH | DeJong makes Canadian history with silver:

Five of Canada's 13 women at the Paralympics have already earned medals, with potential for that number to increase.

Alpine skier Alana Ramsay is the only Canadian woman to land on two podiums so far in Beijing, repeating her 2018 Paralympic performance with bronze in both the super combined and super-G.

A 2020 report from Canadian Women and Sport found that one in three girls who participate in sport leaves sport in their late teens.

Ramsay said the potential of her medal to help change that number was on her mind as she stood on the podium.

"I do a lot of talking with the