Katarina Roxon is one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most accomplished athletes and a leader in Canadian sport. A five-time Paralympian and world-class competitor for more than two decades, she made history in 2024 as the first Canadian female swimmer to compete in five Olympic or Paralympic Games.
Roxon is a Paralympic gold medallist from Rio 2016 and a bronze medallist from Tokyo 2020, with additional podium finishes at World Para Swimming Allianz Championships in 2019, 2022, and 2023. Earlier in her career, she captured six medals at the 2015 Para-Pan Am Games, making her one of Canada’s top performers across all sports. Since childhood, she has set multiple world records in the 1500m freestyle and 200m butterfly, and she continued to break records year after year.
Her leadership and service extend far beyond the pool. In 2024, Roxon carried Canada’s flag at the Paris Paralympic Games opening ceremony and received the James Worrall Flag Bearer Award. She has been invested into the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and received the King Charles III Coronation Medal. She also holds an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Roxon serves on several Canada Games Council committees, including the 2025 Board of Directors and the 2029 Bid Evaluation Committee, and has spent seven years on the Provincial Advisory Committee to the Minister Responsible for Persons with Disabilities.
Roxon is dedicated to giving back to her community. She spent a decade as Assistant Coach with the Aqua Aces Swim Club and regularly speaks on behalf of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and The War Amps of Canada. She has delivered countless presentations to schools, nonprofits, and community groups, advocating for healthy living, inclusion, and the transformative power of sport.
She lives and trains in Kippens–Stephenville, proudly representing both her province and her country on the world stage.
Congratulations Katarina