Sally Thomas (born November 15, 1970)[1] is a Canadian para-powerlifter and accessibility advocate.[2] She represented Canada at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Paralympics.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 15, 1970 |
| Home town | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | Algonquin College |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Paralympic powerlifting |
Early life
editAt birth, Thomas was diagnosed with spina bifida[3] and hydrocephalus.[4] She was adopted when she was 12[5] and grew up in Belleville and Toronto, Ontario.[6] involved in sports as a child, focusing primarily on track.[7] When she was eighteen, Thomas's brother died suddenly.[8] In 1989, she moved to Ottawa to study recreation at Algonquin College.[4]
Career
editSports
editThomas qualified for the 100m and 200m races in wheelchair racing for the 1996 and 2000 Summer Paralympics based on time, but did not it qualify for those Canadian Paralympic teams. She took up powerlifting in 2000.[7]
Thomas became the first female Canadian to compete in Paralympic powerlifting at the Athens 2004 Paralympics. She set a Canadian record and placed seventh out of eight in her weight class.[7] She competed again in the event at the 2008 Summer Paralympics.[9] Thomas has earned more than 70 medals in her powerlifting career.[10]
Advocacy
editThomas's activism began in 2001, when she joined a Para Transpo strike.[4] She has been involved in para transit issues since then[5] and has also advocated for affordable housing for people on the Ontario Disability Support Program.[6] In 2006, she was among several of Canada's Paralympic athletes who went to Parliament Hill as part of Parliamentary Sport and Physical Activity Forum, advocating for more opportunities for disabled youth to participate in sport.[11]
Personal life
editLoans for Thomas's parapowerlifting training resulted in her having to declare bankruptcy.[8] In 2012, she had a serious sepsis infection that almost resulted in her death. While recovering for five months in hospital, she took up painting.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Sally Thomas". Canadian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ Panico, GIacomo (2023-02-03). "City's snow-clearing effort needs to be better, disability advocate says". CBC. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ Cossette, Marc-André (2017-12-04). "Denied home care, former Paralympian speaks out". CBC. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ a b c Green, Camille (2023-11-15). "City builder: 'Loud and proud,' Sally Thomas works hard to bring parity to OC Transpo". Capital Current. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ a b c Kean, Steve (2023-01-19). "The Unstoppable and Unflappable Sally Thomas". Hydrocephalus Canada. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ a b Thomas, Sally (2024-07-26). "July is Disability Pride Month". Kitchissippi Times Community Newspaper. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ a b c "Ottawa's Thomas Looking for Great 'lift' at Beijing Paralympic Games". Bleacher Report. 2008-10-05. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ a b Barrie, Devyn (2018-05-14). "Walking a day in the shoes of someone in poverty through the Ottawa Poverty Challenge". CityNews Ottawa. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ "Canada's Paralympic team". Toronto Star. 2008-09-09. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ "Celebrating Black History Month: Canadians who have contributed to Paralympic Movement". Canadian Paralympic Committee. 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ "Athletes take Parliament Hill". The Globe and Mail. 2006-11-22. Retrieved 2024-07-27.