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.

"I look around and I think that we need more women, and that's why I'm so proud to be here supporting that as well and hopefully growing the sport for more women in the future," said Lisa DeJong, the Biggar, Sask., native who scored silver in snowboard cross.

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 younger generations for females, and I volunteer with them and I help them out and I like to coach them. I'd like to show them that it's possible for a girl to do all these sports and to succeed and do well," said the 27-year-old from Calgary.

WATCH | Ramsay secures 2nd medal in Beijing:

Ramsay specifically mentioned Sweden's Ebba Aarsjoe as a role model for young girls with impairments — a thought Aarsjoe shared herself after winning super-combined gold.

"What I'm doing is much more important than this skiing. I want other girls with disabilities — and boys, too, for that matter — to look at me and think, 'I can do that, too,'" said Aarsjoe, who has muscle reduction in her right leg.

Jepsen hopes to grow within team

Canada's Mollie Jepsen, who won gold in the standing downhill, said she only noticed the small number of female athletes when the whole team was together at the airport ahead of departure for Beijing.

But the team isn't just limited to athletes, and Jepsen said the support and coaching staff around her is full of empowering women, like Kayla Dodson, the strength and conditioning coach who she said she spends more time around than anyone, and Katie Spittlehouse, one of three on-snow coaches.

"Whenever I decide to retire and not be a ski racer anymore, I do want to coach and I don't want to leave sport. And so having those people in my life and around me is just pretty cool. And I think all of us absolutely love all of the staff," Jepsen said.

WATCH | Jepsen victorious in standing downhill:

The 24-year-old West Vancouver, B.C., native won four medals at her debut Games in 2018 before adding the gold in Beijing.

But she said that success is somewhat irrelevant when it comes to inspiring the next generation.

"The more representation in sport, the better. The more people that younger athletes can look up and see like, 'Whoa, that's a girl, and she's out there doing that' — I think just no matter what, the more females we have in sport, the better," Jepsen said.

"And I hope that people can see that anything's possible."

'Moving in the right direction'

The final two female Canadian medals belong to Natalie Wilkie and Brittany Hudak, who took gold and bronze in the same standing cross-country race.

Of the 13 remaining women on the Canadian team in Beijing, two are part of the mixed curling rink. The hockey team, featuring 17 players, tilts the scales even further for men on Team Canada.

Starting in 2010, Para ice hockey was officially a mixed-team event. However, only three women have ever participated, and none on Team Canada.

Still, Jepsen sees a Paralympic movement with an upwards trajectory.

"When I was 10, 11 years old watching the Vancouver 2010 Games and now flash back to 2022, you can just feel the oomph that the movement has. And I think the more the movement grows, the more representation there is for everyone with different kinds of disabilities, both genders," she said.

"I just think things just are moving in the right direction."