Catharine Pendrel discovered mountain biking at sixteen after years of horseback riding and quickly set her sights on representing Canada. Moving from the East Coast to Victoria, she trained at the University of Victoria while earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology.
A four-time Olympian, Catharine captured a Bronze medal in Mountain Biking at the Rio 2016 Olympics, rebounding from an early crash to reach the podium. She also competed at the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, entering London as the reigning World Champion. Over her storied career, she won three overall World Cup titles (2010, 2012, 2016), Gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and Pan Am Games medals (Gold 2007, Silver 2015). Known for her resilience, she repeatedly overcame injuries to remain among the world’s best. Beyond racing, Catharine founded Pendrel Racing, serves on the People in Motion Board, and supports youth cycling through the Kamloops Bike Riders Association.
Sponsored by University of Victoria Vikes Athletics and Recreation
Karen March |
Karen March |
Karen March |
Breaking barriers isn’t always easy but Karen March makes it seem that way as she has continued to pave her way in wheelchair sports. A 1988 car accident set Karen on an athletic journey like no other when, 10 years later, she was introduced to wheelchair sports.
Over the years, she has become a highly accomplished Paralympian who blazed a trail of podium finishes all over the world in both the sports of Athletics and Paracycling.
At the Paralympic Games in Athens, Karen took part in Athletics competing in the 200m T52 event where she finished 8th and the 400m T52 event where she finished 10th. She had an 8th place finish in the 100m at the 2002 World Championships where she also finished 7th in the 400m. She then “retired” from Athletics, taking up cycling for recreation. That recreational path led her to compete at the highest international level in the sport.
In Paracycling, competitors in her class use their arms to power a recumbent three-wheeled racing bike. The hand-powered bicycle has a gear-shift system controlled by her breathing and a sophisticated braking system that allows her to slow down by back-pedalling. Her most recent competitive bike was developed by CanAssist, a University of Victoria organization that develops and delivers technologies, programs and services that improve the quality of life for those with disabilities. CanAssist’s engineering team modified the bike so Karen could compete on a level playing field.
With her level of disability, Karen would not have been able to compete at the World Cup without the modifications to her bike. She literally opened up an entire class to all quadriplegic racers with her success.
“Surrounding myself with ‘can do’ people who think outside the box has led me to many adventures,” says Karen.
In 2011, she won the overall World Cup title in Paracycling for class H1, giving her the distinction of earning the first-ever World Cup leader’s jersey after her dominant performance. In 2011, she also earned two gold medals at the UCI Paracycling World Cup in Spain by finishing first in her class in a 36km road race and a 13km time trial.
She was the 2012 recipient of the Athlete of the Year award at the 2012 Women in Sport Celebration in Victoria
Karen retired from competitive Paracycling in 2012 after choosing not to compete in the London Paralympics. She is a true believer in the promotion and support of women in sport and continues to give back to wheelchair sports
"What I now treasure after retirement are the friendships and contacts I have made over the years,” she adds. “They still feed me as I continue to support sport on many levels.”
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