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Biography
Impairment information
Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency
Origin of Impairment
Congenital
Classification
S9, SB8, SM9
Further personal information
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
English
Higher education
Memorial University of Newfoundland: St. John's, NF, CAN
Sport specific information
When and where did you begin this sport?
She took up swimming at age five, and began competing in 2001 in Gander, NF, Canada.
Why this sport?
Her parents enrolled her in swimming lessons because they thought it was something she needed to learn how to do.
Club / Team
Aqua Aces Swim Club: Stephenville, NF, CAN
Name of coach
Leonard Roxon [father]
Training Regime
She swims six days a week.
International debut
Year
2006
Competing for
Canada
Tournament
World Championships
Location
Durban, RSA
General interest
Nicknames
Roxy, Kat (Facebook profile, 22 Jul 2019; canadianathletesnow.ca, 12 Dec 2011)
Hobbies
Public speaking. (LinkedIn profile, 2020)
Memorable sporting achievement
Winning gold in the SB8 100M breaststroke at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (sportmanagementhub.com, 12 Jun 2019; nfldherald.com, 25 Jun 2019)
Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs
She always listens to music to help her get 'pumped up' before a race. (Athlete, 18 Jul 2007)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Winning is not coming first, it's knowing you've done your best." [Her father used to say this] (canadianathletesnow.ca, 12 Dec 2011)
"My message to all kids, if they have a disability or not, is that anything is possible, if you dream big, and have determination. This life is their story, and they can make it as great as they want, but it will take hard work, and a lot of heart to reach any dream they desire." (sportmanagementhub.com, 06 Dec 2019)
"My message to all kids, if they have a disability or not, is that anything is possible, if you dream big, and have determination. This life is their story, and they can make it as great as they want, but it will take hard work, and a lot of heart to reach any dream they desire." (sportmanagementhub.com, 06 Dec 2019)
Awards and honours
She has received an Order of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. (sportmanagementhub.com, 06 Dec 2019)
She was nominated for the 2016 Most Influential Athlete award by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity. She eventually lost out to rugby sevens player Jen Kish. (thewesternstar.com, 10 Mar 2017)
Following her gold medal performance in the SB8 100m breaststroke at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, a highway near her hometown of Kippens, NF, Canada, was renamed from 'Route 490' to 'Roxon Way' in recognition of her achievement. (sportmanagementhub.com, 06 Dec 2019; cbc.ca, 20 Sep 2016)
She carried the Paralympic torch through St John's, NF, Canada, in the lead up to the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. (natation.ca, 19 Jul 2010)
She was nominated for the 2016 Most Influential Athlete award by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity. She eventually lost out to rugby sevens player Jen Kish. (thewesternstar.com, 10 Mar 2017)
Following her gold medal performance in the SB8 100m breaststroke at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, a highway near her hometown of Kippens, NF, Canada, was renamed from 'Route 490' to 'Roxon Way' in recognition of her achievement. (sportmanagementhub.com, 06 Dec 2019; cbc.ca, 20 Sep 2016)
She carried the Paralympic torch through St John's, NF, Canada, in the lead up to the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. (natation.ca, 19 Jul 2010)
Other sports
She has previously competed in Para athletics at national level in Canada. In 2010 she won national titles in 100m, 200m and 400m in the T46 category. (cscatlantic.ca, 29 Sep 2010)
Famous relatives
Her sister Miranda has competed in able-bodied swimming and worked as a swimming coach at the Mount Pearl Marlins Swim Club in Canada, and they have both been coached by their father Leonard Roxon. (Miranda Roxon LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2017; Swimming Canada, 22 Jun 2007)
Ambitions
To win a medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (thetelegram.com, 08 Sep 2019; nfldherald.com, 25 Jun 2019; rockswim.ca, 01 Feb 2019)
Impairment
She was born with amniotic band syndrome, which resulted her left arm being amputated below the elbow. "Strands from the amniotic sac got tangled around my arm, cutting the circulation, and my arm never grew." (sportmanagementhub.com, 06 Dec 2019, 12 Jun 2019; thetelegram.com, 24 Mar 2015)
Other information
REIGNITING THE SPARK
She spent time training in Australia in 2018 and 2019, which she said helped her rediscover her passion for swimming. "I'm falling back in love with the sport again, which is very important. It's been wonderful. I've been training on the Sunshine Coast since August [2018]. I'm loving it here way more than Canada right now, I just don't like the snow." (paralympic.org, 15 Feb 2019)
She spent time training in Australia in 2018 and 2019, which she said helped her rediscover her passion for swimming. "I'm falling back in love with the sport again, which is very important. It's been wonderful. I've been training on the Sunshine Coast since August [2018]. I'm loving it here way more than Canada right now, I just don't like the snow." (paralympic.org, 15 Feb 2019)
Results
| Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts | Final Round | 4 | ||
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S9 | Heats | 16 | ||
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Heats | 8 | ||
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Final Round | 5 | ||
| Women's 100 m Butterfly S9 | Heats | 9999 | ||
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM9 | Heats | 14 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S9 | Final Round | 7 | ||
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S9 | Heat 2 | 5 | ||
| Women's 4x100 m Medley 34pts | Heat 1 | 5 | ||
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Final Round | 5 | ||
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Heat 1 | 3 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM9 | Heat 1 | 7 | ||
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Heat 2 | 6 | ||
| Women's 100 m Butterfly S9 | Heat 3 | 7 | ||
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S9 | Heat 1 | 7 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 100 m Butterfly S9 | Heat 2 | 2012-08-30 | 6 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Final Round | 2012-09-01 | 5 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-01 | 3 | |
| Women's 4x100 m Freestyle 34pts | Final Round | 2012-09-03 | 7 | |
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S9 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-04 | 5 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S9 | Heat 2 | 2012-09-05 | 6 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM9 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-06 | 5 | |
| Women's 4x100 m Medley 34pts | Final Round | 2012-09-07 | 7 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S9 | Heat 2 | 2012-09-07 | 7 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S9 | Final 1 | 2013-08-12 | 7 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S9 | Heat 1 | 2013-08-12 | 8 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM9 | Final 1 | 2013-08-13 | 5 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM9 | Heat 1 | 2013-08-13 | 5 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S9 | Heat 2 | 2013-08-13 | 9 | |
| Women's 4x100 m Freestyle 34pts | Final 1 | 2013-08-15 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Heat 1 | 2013-08-15 | 5 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Final 1 | 2013-08-15 | 4 | |
| Women's 100 m Butterfly S9 | Heat 1 | 2013-08-17 | 9 | |
| Women's 4x100 m Medley 34pts | Final 1 | 2013-08-18 | 4 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-14 | 3 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Final 1 | 2015-07-14 | 3 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S9 | Heat 2 | 2015-07-16 | 18 | |
| Women's 4x100 m Freestyle 34pts | Final 1 | 2015-07-16 | 4 | |
| Women's 100 m Butterfly S9 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-17 | 13 | |
| Women's 4x100 m Medley 34pts | Final 1 | 2015-07-19 | 8 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM9 | Final 1 | 2015-07-19 | 6 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM9 | Heat 2 | 2015-07-19 | 6 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S9 | Heat 3 | 2016-09-09 | 6 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM9 | Final Round | 2016-09-11 | 7 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM9 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-11 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S9 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-12 | 5 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-14 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB8 | Final Round | 2016-09-14 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Butterfly S9 | Heat 3 | 2016-09-15 | 6 | |
| Women's 4x100 m Freestyle 34pts | Final Round | 2016-09-15 | 5 | |
| Women's 4x100 m Medley 34pts | Final Round | 2016-09-16 | 5 |
