Renee Foessel

Canadian Paralympic athlete

Renee Foessel
Personal information
Full nameRenee Danielle Foessel
Born (1995-05-30) May 30, 1995 (age 29)
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Alma materHumber College
Sport
Country Canada
SportParalympic athletics
DisabilityCerebral palsy, hemiplegia
Disability classT38
Event(s)Discus throw
Javelin throw
Shot put
ClubCruisers Sports
Coached byKen Hall
Medal record
Paralympic athletics
Representing  Canada
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Paris Discus throw F38
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Doha Discus throw F38
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Dubai Discus throw F38
Parapan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto Discus throw F38
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto Shot put F38
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Toronto Javelin throw F38
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Santiago Discus throw F38

Renee Danielle Foessel (born May 30, 1995) is a Canadian Paralympic athlete who specializes in throwing events in international level events.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

Foessel was born with cerebral palsy with hemiplegia affecting her right side.[4] She is the middle child of three daughters.[5] She was born in Mississauga, Ontario, and moved with her family to Orangeville in 2014.[6]

In 2020, Foessel completed a degree in criminal justice and a diploma in community and justice services at Humber College.[7]

Career

Foessel is coached by Ken Hall at Cruisers Sports in Mississauga,[5] where she began training at six years old.[8] In 2011, she was the youngest Canadian athlete at the 2011 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championship.[9] She was set to compete in javelin, discus, and shot put, but was told at the championships that, due to a switch in classification, she could only compete in javelin.[10] She was just shy of making the team for the 2012 Summer Paralympics.[7] In 2013, Athletics Ontario named her the Most Outstanding Female Field Performer.[11]

At the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, Foessel won three medals: bronze in javelin, silver in shot put, and gold in discus.[12] She placed fourth in the F38 discus throw at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. She also placed fourth in discuss at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships.[6] At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, Foessel won bronze in women's discus F38 and set a new Canadian record.[13]

Foessel qualified for the 2020 Summer Paralympics, in Discus throw F38.[14] She placed fourth overall.[15] In 2021, she set a world record in the F38 discus with a throw of 37.88 meters.[5] At the 2022 Canadian National Track and Field Championships in Langley, she was the Canadian Women’s Para-Ambulatory Discus and Shot Put Champion.[9]

She won silver in F38 discus at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships,[16] her fifth appearance at Worlds.[17] Later that year, she won bronze in discus at the 2023 Parapan American Games.[18] Foessel will compete in F38 discus at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[4]

Personal life

Foessel works as an information management clerk for the Barrie Police Service.[5][15]

References

  1. ^ "Renee Foessel - Canada Paralympics Profile". Canadian Paralympic Committee. March 10, 2020.
  2. ^ "Renee Foessel - Our Team". Athletics Canada. March 10, 2020.
  3. ^ Galli, Alex (April 15, 2017). "Going Pro - The Renee Foessel Story". stathblog.com.
  4. ^ a b Cole, Nikki (August 5, 2024). "Barrie athlete eyes gold for upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris". CollingwoodToday.ca. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "Family support inspires Renee Foessel". Canadian Paralympic Committee. August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Babiera, Angelica (August 25, 2021). "Orangeville' Renée Foessel set to compete in discus throw at Tokyo Paralympics". Orangeville Banner. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Yard, Bridget (September 22, 2021). "Humber alumna Renée Foessel - unstoppable in the face of adversity". Humber Today. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  8. ^ Juzenas, Frank (September 6, 2017). "Cruisers Sports offers a home for physically disabled athletes in Peel Region". Brampton Guardian. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Cole, Nikki (August 12, 2022). "Barrie athlete continues to rack up medals". BarrieToday.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  10. ^ Ramsay, Janis (October 21, 2023). "Barrie discus athlete ready for Para PanAm Games". Barrie Advance. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  11. ^ Lockhart, Brian (July 29, 2021). "Orangeville's Renee Foessel sets world record – Now ready for Paralympics". Orangeville Citizen. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  12. ^ Clarke, Katrina (July 19, 2016). "How to train like an Olympic discus thrower". Mississauga News. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  13. ^ "Brent Lakatos wins 2nd gold, Renee Foessel takes bronze at World Para Athletic Championships". CBC. November 12, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  14. ^ "Foessel | Canadian Paralympic Committee". paralympic.ca. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Gibson, Shawn (September 7, 2021). "Barrie Paralympian 'hungry for more' after strong showing in Tokyo". BarrieToday.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  16. ^ "Ontario's Renee Foessel claims silver at Para worlds". CBC. 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  17. ^ "World record holders Riech, Foessel, Lakatos lead Canada at world Para athletics championships". Canadian Paralympic Committee. July 7, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  18. ^ Dichter, Miles (December 27, 2023). "From Santiago to Paris, Canadian Para athletes set the table for a successful 2024". CBC. Retrieved August 7, 2024.