NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- Jillian Elwart is thankful to her friends and family, but most importantly, her daughter, for throwing her a send-off party as she prepares for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. “It’s an honor not only to carry my community but carry my nation and proudly wear our colors,” Jillian Elwart said.
Her journey to the Paralympics began while raising her daughter. “I started recreationally canoeing and kayaking in Arkansas, you know we are the Natural State,” Elwart said. Enjoying every aspect of the Natural State and its beautiful waters.
Elwart thought canoeing would be a way to push herself both physically and mentally. Elwart was born with a congenital disability known as proximal femoral focal deficiency. Therefore, she has worn a prosthetic leg her whole life.
“The Paralympics are for individuals with physical disabilities, para actually stands for parallel, so it’s our version of what you would consider able-body sports, but it’s adaptive so we can compete,” Elwart said. Canoeing was something new to learn, something she could call her own. “I raised my daughter and once I found Canoe Sprint it was an opportunity for me to do something for myself,” Elwart said.
“She has been involved with this since I first started, since I was falling out of boats and not even being able to get down a racecourse,” Elwart said. Elwart is excited that her daughter is coming to Paris to cheer her on while she competes in the 200-meter flat water canoe sprints. “Here we are together charging headfirst into Paris,” Elwart said.
She says she looks forward to each step along the way to Paris, from the outfit fittings to the opening ceremony and finally getting to the competition. Elwart began competing internationally in 2017 but took a step back when COVID-19 hit to spend more time with her family. “Now I’m back and stronger than ever, and I’m ready to head to Paris in a couple of weeks,” Elwart said.
Elwart hopes to finish on the podium but says it would be “spectacular” if she could bring home the gold. Elwart will leave for Paris on August 26 and will compete on September 6 and 7..
