HIGH ACHIEVERS: Wheelchair fencer Trinity Lowthian resumes training, after successful Paralympics, hospital stay

By Martin Cleary

Reflection time everyone. What was the happiest moment in your life?

If you ask that question to rising international wheelchair fencer Trinity Lowthian, the answer comes quick and uncluttered.

That moment would be her debut at the 2024 Paralympic Summer Games in Paris.

“Looking back, I felt all the emotions and how happy I was. I was having fun. It was the happiest I had ever been and at the same time it was so emotional,” explained Lowthian, who trains with coach Paul ApSimon at Ottawa Fencing.

Not only did Lowthian, 23, record an historic result, but also she was able to meet a second cousin for the first time.

Lowthian had many good reasons to be at the highest stage of happiness. About two years after taking an interest in wheelchair fencing, the determined and athletic University of Ottawa student dedicated herself to wheelchair fencing and did the unexpected, qualify for Canada’s Paralympic team to Paris.

Despite losing her first match in the women’s epee B class, she won her next two bouts in the repechage round, upsetting the second- and third-seeded fencers in the world.

In her third repechage match, she lost in overtime. A win would have allowed her to continue on the path to fight for the bronze medal. Instead, her fifth-place showing was the best-ever result by a Canadian in wheelchair fencing.

“It was definitely a rollercoaster,” she said, describing the highs and lows of her introduction to competing at the sport’s highest level. “After losing the first match (15-9 to eventual bronze-medallist Olena Fedota-Isaieva of the Ukraine), it was upsetting and not the way I wanted to go.”

But she labelled her next two matches as “epic,” which filled her with confidence. She defeated two of the world’s best, Eun Hye Cho of South Korea 15-7 and Rossana Pasquino of Italy 15-13.

“By my fourth match, I had lots of confidence. I wasn’t looking at the scoreboard and that definitely helped,” added Lowthian, who was named the 2024 athlete of the year in fencing at the 72nd Ottawa Sports Awards Dinner on Wednesday night.

Lowthian, who is doing a research internship with University of Ottawa associate professor Marie-Claude Audet for the final step in earning her BSc nutrition degree, also won the Howard Darwin Memorial Scholarship for women in university and a $1,000 bursary at the dinner.

“I was really happy, honoured and proud,” Lowthian said about receiving the fencer of the year award for a third straight year. “There are so many great fencers in Ottawa.”

When Lowthian was in Paris for the Paralympics, she also crossed paths with her second cousin, Hannah Ouellette of Saskatoon, a high school student competing in her first Summer Games in swimming.

But Lowthian and Ouellette never had the opportunity to attend each other’s events because of scheduling conflicts. They did meet twice in the Athletes’ Village, after their competitions.

Ouellette, who has cerebral palsy, wasn’t originally named to the Canadian team for swimming, but was added when Canada earned more athlete berths for the Games.

“That was exciting news for both sides of the family,” Lowthian said. “Hannah is still in high school and only competed in a few international competitions before the Paralympics.”

Ouellette raced in the S5 class for the 200-metre freestyle (19th), 50-metre butterfly (sixth in heat) and 200-metre individual medley (fifth in heat).

“I connected with her (for the first time) before the Opening Ceremony,” Lowthian said about meeting Ouellette. “We hung out a few times in the village and that was a highlight for me.

“I had never seen her before. It was nice to connect with her and have a mini family reunion.”

Lowthian had six family members serve as her personal cheering section at the Games as well as some friends.

When Lowthian returned home Sept. 9 from the Games, she planned to start her nutrition research internship and complete her degree by the end of 2024. But during the Games and after returning home, she was troubled with more medical issues.

Lowthian played numerous high school and community sports before being diagnosed in 2018 with autoimmune autonomic neuropathy, a rare disease that impacts the nervous system’s ability to control involuntary bodily functions, including digestion. Two battles with meningitis limited her lower-body mobility and she needed to introduce a wheelchair.

But her love of sports and competition brought her to wheelchair fencing.

Despite her love of baking, she is unable to eat by mouth. She is only allowed to receive her daily required nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) in liquid form intravenously through a method called Total Parenteral Nutrition.

Lowthian entered the hospital with some liver issues in October and returned home in mid-December.

“While I was competing, things were getting worse. I brushed the thing off,” she said. “But when I got home, I said maybe things aren’t going so well.”

One of the treatments which helped Lowthian was a plasma exchange.

“It definitely was not easy. There were a lot of hard decisions and hard conversations. It wasn’t a good time. But I’m definitely doing better at home,” she said encouragingly.

The athlete inside Lowthian is still highly active and ready to perform. She recently resumed training and plans to attend the World Cup wheelchair fencing competition Feb. 20-25 in São Paulo, Brazil.

“Over Christmas, I messaged Paul and asked for his thoughts on going to a competition. He asked me if I’d like to train first,” continued Lowthian, who resumed training in mid-January.

“Definitely, I enjoyed my time off. But it’s nice to get back (to fencing). It was a bit frustrating because I felt I needed to be at the level I was for Paris. But that wasn’t realistic.”

If her 2025 season goes well, she hopes to compete at the world championships Sept. 2-7 in Iksan, South Korea.