Our Purpose



About Shelley Gautier Para-Sport Foundation

The Shelley Gautier Para-Sport Foundation is inspired by Ms. Shelley Gautier, a world-class Canadian para-cyclist who, despite being hemiplegic due to a biking accident, has continued to thrive and dominate in para-sports. In 2009, Shelley became the first female para-cyclist to compete on a tricycle internationally. She has since won the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) world championships and 8 world titles in para-cycling, and competed in the London 2012 Paralympics and the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Shelley has refueled her passion for sports by creating this not-for-profit organization that encourages people with disabilities to turn their passion into action. The Shelley Gautier Para-Sport Foundation operates by running and managing para-sports programs in existing recreational facilities, so people with disabilities can be more integrated into their communities. The foundation currently has chapters operating in Hamilton, Niagara, Brantford, Ottawa, Kitchener and Whitby.



Mission


Promoting healthy and active lifestyles through adaptive physical activities for people with disabilities.



Vision


To become a platform that breaks barriers for people with disabilities to participate in sports activities, create awareness of adaptive sports, remove stereotypes, and develop resources that encourage adaptive sports for people with disabilities.



Values


  • To involve the community by providing free para-sport activities to people with disabilities.
  • Focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities through recreational sports activities.

Actions


  • Providing Tandem bikes with a sighted pilot for people with visual impairments.
  • Provide indoor para-cycling program for people with physical disabilities.
  • Inclusion and participation for people with all forms of disabilities and skills.
  • Provide both indoor and outdoor programs.
  • Uses qualified volunteers to train individual on hand cycles.
  • Encourage recreational therapy so people with disabilities can lead healthy lifestyles and remain active in a non-competitive, recreational sports environment.

Persons with Disabilities


Persons with disabilities ("PWD's") are generally divided into three main groups:

1) the deaf;
2) persons with physical disabilities and
3) persons with intellectual disabilities.

Physical disabilities include both mobility and visual disabilities.



Data from the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/160705/dq160705b-eng.htm

  • 7% of Canadians aged 15 years and older, or about 1,971,800 people, reported having a mobility disability that limited their daily activities.
  • Mobility disabilities frequently co-occurred with other types of disabilities. More than 95% of Canadians aged 15 years and older who reported a mobility disability also reported at least one other type of disability.
  • The prevalence of mobility disability increased with age. For example, 1.0% of the population aged 15 to 24 reported having a mobility disability, compared with 20.6% of those aged 65 and older.
  • Canadians aged 15 years and older with a mobility disability had overall lower levels of educational attainment than those without any disability. The proportion of Canadians aged 15 to 64 who were not in school and who had not completed high school was higher among those with a mobility disability (23.2%) than among those without any disability (13.1%).
  • Compared with Canadians aged 15 to 64 without any disability, Canadians with a mobility disability in the same age group had a lower employment rate (36.0% compared with 73.6%) and a lower median annual before-tax income ($17,100 compared with $31,200). As well, a higher proportion of them relied on government transfers as their major source of income (58.7% compared with 18.7%).
  • Nearly 9 in 10 adults with a mobility disability reported requiring help with some type of everyday activity, such as heavy household chores and housework, and about two-thirds reported some level of unmet need.

Benefits of Sport for People with Disabilities


Sport is a rehabilitation tool that serves to improve people’s health and wellness while transforming their bodies and minds. Sport reduces stress, creates independence, and helps individuals with disabilities obtain higher education and employment. Sport also reduces dependency on pain and depression medication and reduces secondary medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.



Why support The Shelley Gautier Para-Sport Foundation?


  • Individuals receive a t-shirt after donation or an autograph photo or photo op with Shelley Gautier.
  • Support a great social cause.
  • Your contribution (no matter how great or small) helps us improve the lives of others, and ensures that we can continue our foundation’s efforts to increase access to sport for people with disabilities.
  • Your effort and drive will encourage others to do the same.

why choose us

We Have built the system

The Shelley Gautier Para-Sport Foundation has developed the first of it`s kind cycling program for the disabled and the visually impaired. Our goal is to train and assist others, on how to implement our cycling program into their programs.

Up and running fast

Due to our extensive work in the cycling arena, we can assist your group in getting a disabled and visually impaired cycling program up and running much faster. We can provide guidance with coaching, training, and fundraising.

spreading the word

Our Foundation has made it their mission to partner and build relationships so we can provide great brand awareness to what we believe is an amazing program for people with disabilities who want to stay active and healthy.