Redcliff's Sarah Mickey will compete in the F55 discus competition at the Tokyo Paralympics (Photo courtesy of Sarah Mickey / Facebook)

By Scott Roblin

First Paralympics

Redcliff’s Sarah Mickey selected to Canadian Paralympic team

Jul 23, 2021 | 5:21 PM

REDCLIFF, AB – Sarah Mickey has gone through her fair share of adversity in her 23 short years.

But finally, she can call herself a Paralympian officially named to Canada’s contingent of athletes heading to the Tokyo Games on Friday.

“I feel like this is absolutely the pinnacle of my career here,” said Mickey. “I just get so happy thinking about it. I am so honoured to represent Canada and I can’t wait for that opportunity.”

Mickey qualified for the Paralympic standard in seated discus in 2020, however had to wait a calendar year with the Paralympics postponed.

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Despite some health struggles over the past year that saw Mickey in and out hospital, she set a pair of Canadian records in discus and shot put in June to surpass the 23 metre mark in the former.

“I feel like this is absolutely the pinnacle of my career here,” said Mickey. “I just get so happy thinking about it. I am so honoured to represent Canada and I can’t wait for that opportunity.”

Her goal is no longer cracking her first Paralympic squad, but eyeing a spot on the podium in Tokyo.

“These last four or five months things have really turned around for me personally,” said Mickey. “In my mindset it wasn’t just about making the team anymore, it’s now about the actual, realistic possibility of making the podium this go-around.”

Mickey began competing in para athletics in 2015 after contracting Lyme disease which paralyzed her from the waist down and now requires the use of a wheelchair.

Overcoming such a drastic change to everyday life has often been difficult for the Redcliff product, but has built up her resiliency which she’ll rely on in Tokyo.

“I have had now several times where I haven’t felt great but I still am able to pull myself together and compete,” said Mickey. “I think that’s really the biggest thing I have going for me is that I can kind of take any stressful situation and put it aside, and do what I need to do in the moment.”

Mickey previously represented Canada at the 2019 Parapan Am Games where she came up one metre short of the podium to earn a fourth-place finish.

Next month, all eyes from Redcliff and Medicine Hat will be on the local athlete who will be the lone representative in Tokyo from southeast Alberta.

“Medicine Hat is my home,” said Mickey. “I love it here, it’s a small city and just the support through every competition, all my training… I can feel the support already from Medicine Hat here.”

Mickey will compete in the F55 discus competition, which will wrap up with the gold medal final on August 27.