Keegan Kolody with his national gold medal in the 800 metre race. Courtesy/Willis Kolody

By Jesse Gill

SMILE SUNDAYS

VIDEO: Medicine Hat’s Kolody brings home national track and field gold

Aug 10, 2025 | 10:48 AM

Medicine Hat’s Keegan Kolody brought home a gold medal in the 800 metre Para ambulatory run at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa earlier this month.

The 21-year old Keegan ran a time of 2 minutes 23.5 seconds to claim top spot, even losing one of his cleats early in the race didn’t stop him from taking top spot.

—

—

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat: Dec. 12-14

Dec 12, 2025

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat: December 5-7

Dec 05, 2025

WHAT'S ON

Top five things to do at the Medicine Hat Public Library in December

Nov 30, 2025

Keegan’s father Willis Kolody said running has been one of the best things for his son with autism.

“The best thing that we’ve truthfully ever done for sure for him because he can literally just go and run a distance from 400 to like, for example, he runs a Rattler run every year and finishes top three every time,” Willis said.

“He just can run whatever distance. You can tell him to run a half marathon and he won’t stop until he’s across the line sort of thing. Just a way to just be away from all the hustle and bustle and the racket of everything else,” he added.

“That’s kind of his go-to thing for him, is running.”

—

Keegan Kolody with his gold medal. Courtesy/Willis Kolody

—

Willis said it had been a long process to allow his son who has autism the ability to run in a Para event.

“Applying through the para committee, and doctors in Ireland approved him to actually race and get his classification. It was a basically a three-year process to actually get him to be able to race at this level,” Willis Kolody said.

Willis said his son has been running since ninth grade through the Medicine Hat Panthers Track and Field Club.

Keegan started running cross country when he was at the Dr. Roy Wilson Learing Centre and continued at Medicine Hat High School.

—

READ: Keegan Kolody training in Rattler Run on path to become Paralympian (4/27/2023)

—

Keegan has also earned a provincial championship for the Men’s 5,000 metre run in the Special Olympic category in 2022.

—

Thumbs up from Keegan Kolody on the track. Courtesy/Willis Kolody

Willis said that with Keegan on the autism spectrum his para classification is T20 for intellectual impairment, one of a variety of classifications.

“Keegan was at the biggest disadvantage because they rank you on a RAZA point system. He was basically at a disadvantage before the gun even went off of seven seconds,” Willis said.

“Basically he had to make that up, because they base it on disability and they’re saying that autism is the lowest of the disabilities. The most able-bodied. That’s kind of how they do that.”

Willis said the ultimate goal for Keegan is to run in the Paralympics.