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By Dan Plouffe
Trinity Lowthian turned many heads with her history-making debut on the Paralympic stage, but the 22-year-old wheelchair fencer from Stittsville isn’t certain if she’ll be back for a future Games.
“I’m really proud of myself and happy for how it went,” Lowthian said by phone from Paris the day after placing fifth in the women’s epée category B competition. “My only goal, really, was to not have any regrets, and I don’t have any regrets.”
Lowthian said she felt most nervous for her first bout of the day, and that it showed in her performance – a 15-9 defeat to drop into the repechage draw.
It was, after all, the biggest day of Lowthian’s sports life, and the University of Ottawa student remains quite new to top-level international competition, having only taken up her sport two years ago at Ottawa Fencing.
But her sabre event several days earlier helped her feel comfortable in the Paralympic pressure cooker, and she utilized visualization strategies to help her feel prepare for big moments. Lowthian returned to the piste and took down her next two opponents – who were ranked #2 and #3 in the world – before losing her last bout 15-14 in overtime.
“I really didn’t put any pressure on myself, I went in very relaxed and just knew the game plan that I had to execute and I stuck to it,” Lowthian recounted. “It was some of the best fencing that I did. It was one of those times where, I’ve heard people say when you get into the zone, things just flow, you don’t really need to think about it. And honestly, that’s kind of what I was feeling.”
The end result, a fifth-place finish, wound up being Canada’s best performance of all-time in Paralympic wheelchair fencing.
“That’s just pretty crazy, but I think it’s just a credit to the team at Ottawa Fencing,” Lowthian signalled. “I don’t think everyone expected this result, but it just goes to show the effort that everyone put into it made it possible.”
Lowthian especially enjoyed having her family in the stands to cheer her on in Paris.
“They all had their Trinity shirts that were made for the Games, so it was really easy to find everyone, but even without those, I definitely could have heard them,” she smiled. “After each match, you do a little circle and get to see everyone in the stands and I was just absolutely beaming the entire time seeing everyone there.
“Whether they were from Canada or not, everyone would applaud, and it was just very special.”
Lowthian added that the Games volunteers were “absolutely amazing” at the athletes’ village and the Grand Palais fencing venue and that she was very appreciative of their efforts to make the experience memorable.
“It’s been my goal since before I started fencing to make it to the Paralympics, and to actually be here, I’ve just been trying to soak it all in and live in the moment,” Lowthian highlighted. “I’ve been loving the entire atmosphere, absolutely everything.”
‘I don’t really know what the future holds’
When an athlete excels among the world’s best and places fifth at the Paralympics in their debut Games not long after taking up their sport, hopes would often run high that a podium performance could lie ahead with a bit more training and experience (see the story of Canada’s Closing Ceremonies flag bearer Brianna Hennessy as an example).
And it’s certainly a scenario that could well come true for Lowthian too.
However, her health is perhaps more variable than most Paralympians, and she knows well the up-and-downs that autoimmune autonomic neuropathy has presented since she found herself hospitalized for much of high school.
Read More: Trinity Lowthian hitting the target in wheelchair fencing, despite major health issues
“It’s been quite a few setbacks, but needing to power through,” Lowthian said of her journey to get to the Games, which included an operation in mid-July to place a gastrostomy tube that brings nutrition directly to her stomach.
“When I get back, I’m going to focus on things other than fencing for a little bit. I’m going to take breather and focus on a little more of the balance,” she indicated. “I’ll need a bit of rest and maybe taking care of some things that I’ve kind of been pushing to the side that I can’t really ignore any more.”
In the short-term, Lowthian plans to complete the 16 weeks of internships she has left to finish up her uOttawa nutrition and food science degree, and she hopes to work as a nutritionist come December.
“It’s been a really fun time (at the Paralympics), but I don’t really know what the future holds. I’m not making any kind of decisions now, but this experience definitely didn’t turn me off,” Lowthian smiled.
Whether Lowthian’s performance in Paris winds up as the first chapter in her Paralympic career, or as the pinnacle moment, it will remain an indelible memory.
“(Coach) Paul (ApSimon) and Ottawa Fencing have been so amazing on this journey getting me here,” Lowthian underlined. “When little Trinity shows up asking to make it to the Paralympics, a lot of people would have laughed at that goal, but they all made it happen, and I’m just so grateful.”
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