University of Guelph runner Leah Robinson won her second medal of the 2015 Parapan Am Games in Toronto and set a national mark in the process, taking home a silver medal in the 400-metre dash.
Robinson achieved a Canadian record in the finals of the 400-metre race on Aug. 14, finishing in a time of 1:10.75, behind a runner from Brazil.
In the 200-metre dash two days before, Robinson won bronze as she finished in 31.94 seconds, just behind runners from Argentina and Venezuela.
Robinson has competed for Canada several times, including at the Paralympic Games in Beijing (2008) and in London (2012).
In Toronto, Robinson competed in the T37 and T38 categories (for athletes with fewer impairments).
A bachelor of arts student, Robinson transferred to Guelph from Trinity Western University last spring.
Born with cerebral palsy, she is a right-sided hemiplegic, which means the muscles on the right side of her body are smaller and atrophied. Explaining that the impact is mild, she says she trains with able-bodied athletes at U of Guelph, which has helped her improve her times.
Her coach at Guelph, Jason Kerr, said she has made strong progress in her time at U of G.
“She actually came to Guelph after a few years of poor results and lack of fitness and is now in Canadian-record form,” he said.
“I was extremely proud and excited for her as I knew how happy she would be to perform at her best when it mattered most. It’s a performance which I know has taken three years of ups and downs to accomplish.”
Kerr said the highlight for him was being able to cheer on Robinson with her closest supporters.
“Watching Leah accomplish her goals on such a big stage in front of her family and home crowd was a real highlight for me as a coach. Helping student-athletes achieve their dreams is something I will never take for granted.”