In an article posted by The Varsity, the University of Toronto student newspaper since 1880, Paralympian and KPE graduate Stephanie Dixon discusses her swimming career, U of T experience and ableism in parasports.
At the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, 16-year-old swimmer Stephanie Dixon won five gold medals — the Canadian record for most golds at a single game.
Dixon views that competition as a standout memory from her long and illustrious swimming career. Yet it wasn’t just the medals that stood out — it was also the environment around the pool. “We had 17,000 people in the stands there to watch us swim. I was used to having some parents clapping for us in the stands,” Dixon reminisced in an interview with The Varsity.
In November 2023, Dixon earned another big achievement in her life, in a very different environment: she finished and collected her master’s degree from the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) at U of T.
Coming back to school wasn’t just about getting a degree: “I didn’t care as much about having a designation of a master’s in science,” Dixon said. That isn’t hard to believe when her resumé also includes 19 Paralympic medals, six gold medals from the Parapan American Games, 10 gold medals at the IPC World Championships, and membership into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Order of Canada.
“I think [my degree] was really about personal transformation,” Dixon added. “I wanted to learn more about my disabled identity and my experience of harm and marginalization in sports… and how we can [also] begin to contribute towards dismantling systems of oppression and harm.”
Read full article in The Varsity.