Canadian Paralympians to receive equal pay at 2024 Games

On Wednesday, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Paralympic Foundation of Canada announced a significant shift in the financial landscape for Paralympic athletes. Each Paralympic medalist for Canada, starting at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, will receive an equivalent prize to that of their Olympic counterparts.

The newly unveiled Paralympic Performance Recognition program, introduced at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., promises a significant shift in the financial landscape for Canadian Paralympic athletes.

Gold medalists will earn $20,000, silver medalists $15,000 and bronze medalists $10,000, which will create parity for Paralympic athletes.

This pioneering program was made possible by an initial $8-million endowment from the Paralympic Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s philanthropic partner. Sanjay Malaviya, CEO of healthcare tech company RL Solutions, contributed $4 million, with $2 million matched by the Canadian government, and an additional $2 million to be raised.

Malaviya, reflecting on the moment, said in a press release that he believed this program was a long time coming. “Canada’s Paralympians are incredible athletes who unite all of us as they proudly represent our country, and I am thrilled to be able to support them and celebrate their accomplishments in this way.”

This isn’t the first time Malaviya has made a substantial donation to Canadian athletes. In March 2022, Malaviya gave 130 Olympians and 53 Paralympians $5,000 each for winning a medal at the Tokyo (summer) and Beijing (winter) Games—a donation of $1.2 million.

A total of 128 athletes (57 men and 71 women) represented Team Canada at the 202 Tokyo Paralympic Games, with 21 athletes winning medals for Canada. Two of the five gold medals were won in athletics. Victoria’s Nate Riech won gold in the men’s T38 1,500m, and Greg Stewart won gold in the men’s F46 shot put.

Similar initiatives for Paralympic athletes also exist in other countries—such as France, the U.S., and Australia—and the program for Canadian Olympians has been in place since 2006. The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games will begin Aug. 28 and run until Sept. 8.

posted Thursday January 25th
by Marley Dickinson