Natives of Stephenville, Katarina Roxon and her sister Miranda are the first generation of Roxons to be born in Canada after her parents, Leonard and Lisa, both immigrated to the country from India in 1990.

At just 24 years old, she has already made a significant mark in swimming on the national and international stages. Ms. Roxon is a three-time Paralympian having represented Canada in Beijing in 2008 (where at the age of 15, she was the youngest member of the team), London in 2012 and Rio in 2016. In Rio, she won the gold medal in the 100m breaststroke at the Paralympic Games following her dominant showing at the 2015 Para Pan Am Games where she won six medals, one of which was gold.

In 2015, Ms. Roxon also captured bronze at the IPC World Swimming Championships and was golden at the 2014 Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships.

Ms. Roxon has served on the Provincial Council for Persons with Disabilities for the past three years. She also serves as an ambassador for Para swimming and for Para sport as a whole by representing the Canadian Paralympic Committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee and The War Amps of Canada at various speaking engagements across the country. She uses these platforms to address youth and adults on the importance of sport for healthy living and dreaming big.

Demonstrating her commitment to her community and province, Ms. Roxon continues to train in her hometown in rural Newfoundland and Labrador and continues to act as the assistant coach of the Stephenville Aqua Aces Swim Club with an aim of inspiring a new generation of swimmers.

Through public engagement, Ms. Roxon continues to advocate and raise awareness of the opportunities available to persons with disabilities and is training hard for that next great achievement.

In response to her tremendous accomplishments, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador renamed Trans-Canada Highway Route 490 as Katarina Roxon Way in 2016. She is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Ms. Roxon will next represent Canada at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, as a member of the Para Swimming Team.