Keegan Gaunt

Keegan Gaunt
Personal information
Born (2000-04-27) April 27, 2000 (age 24)
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Parents
Sport
SportPara-athletics
Disability classT13

Keegan Gaunt (born April 27, 2000) is a Canadian visually-impaired middle-distance runner.

Early life and education

Gaunt was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She is the daughter of Robbi Weldon, a para-cyclist who won gold at the 2012 Paralympic Games, and Robert Gaunt, who won silver on the Canadian men's goalball team at the 1996 Paralympic Games.[1]

Like her mother, Gaunt was diagnosed with Stargardt Disease as a teenager. She trained with the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club.[2] She is a graduate of Merivale High School[2] and has a bachelor of commerce at the University of Guelph.[3]

Career

At the 2018 Canadian Championships, Gaunt won the para-ambulatory 400-metre.[4] She won the Para women's T13 1500-metre title at the Canadian track nationals, setting a new Canadian record.[5] She trained, but did not race during the 2022 season.[2]

Gaunt made her Parapan American Games debut at the 2023 Games in Chile.[3] She placed third in the women's T13 1500-metre race at the Games, but did not receive a medal as there were only three competitors.[6] Gaunt competed for Canada in the 1500-metre and 400-metre events at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[1][7] She placed twelfth out of fourteen athletes in the 400-metre heats with a time of 1:03:16 and did not advance to the finals.[8][9] She placed ninth in the women’s T13 1500-metre.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b Rinne, Gary (2024-07-29). "Thunder Bay athlete named to Paralympic team". Thunder Bay News Watch. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  2. ^ a b c Cleary, Martin (2023-11-16). "HIGH ACHIEVERS: Keegan Gaunt overcomes hurdles for berth on Canada's Parapan American Games team". OttawaSportsPages.ca. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  3. ^ a b Rinne, Gary (2023-10-11). "Thunder Bay athlete named to Parapan Am Games team". Thunder Bay News Watch. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  4. ^ "Lions earn full set of medals on day two of Canadian Championships - Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club". Ottawa Lions. 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  5. ^ Francis, Anne (2021-06-27). "Staehli and Philibert-Thiboutot take 1,500m titles at Canadian track nationals in Montreal". Canadian Running Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  6. ^ Denver, Riley (2023-11-22). "Parapan Am Recap: Double Bronze on the Second Day of Athletics". Athletics Canada. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  7. ^ Daignault, Louis (2024-07-25). "Team of 20 Para athletics competitors nominated to Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team". Canadian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  8. ^ Plouffe, Dan; Beauchemin, Adam; Starr, Jackson; LeBoutillier, Kaitlyn (2024-09-06). "OATP Day 8: Keegan Gaunt goes for it in finale of first Paralympics, Brianna Hennessy seeks paddling podium". OttawaSportsPages.ca. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  9. ^ Mandarino, Alex (2024-09-06). "A Jam-packed Day for Canada's Para athletics Team as a Decorated Paralympian adds Another". Canadian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  10. ^ Maat, Sarah (2024-08-31). "Paris 2024 Day 3 Recap: Nicholas Bennett and Tess Routliffe each take silver in the pool". Canadian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2024-09-09.