Archery Canada, alongside the Canadian Paralympic Committee, is thrilled to announce that Karen Van Nest (North Bay, ON) is set to wear the maple leaf this summer at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
She will travel to Japan after earning a qualification spot in Monterrey, Mexico at the Pan American Championships. Earlier this month, she made her way into the round of 16 at the Para Archery World Ranking Tournament and Final Paralympic Qualifier in Nove Mesto nad Metuji, Czech Republic.
“It’s an incredible feeling walking into a stadium representing your country at a Paralympic Games,” says Van Nest. “This will be my 6th Games. I’m excited to be finally traveling to Tokyo in August.”
Duncan Crawford, Paralympic team head coach, is also looking forward to Tokyo. “The opportunity to work with Karen (Van Nest) and so many other great Para archery athletes have been incredibly enriching. I’ve learned so much as a coach in these last few years, to have athletes achieve their goals and to be there to support them at the highest level of international competition is reward in itself.”
It’s her third Paralympic Games for archery and her sixth overall; she competed in para-shooting in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Paralympics. When she competed in the most recent Paralympics in Rio de Janiero in 2016, she earned two top-10 finishes.
Van Nest is competing in the women’s compound competition, in the open category. The event will take place on August 27, 29, and 30.
Media Contacts
Nicole Watts
Manager, Public Relations
Canadian Paralympic Committee
nwatts@paralympic.ca or 613-462-2700
Zoe Meil
Communications and Safe Sport Coordinator
Archery Canada
zmeil@archerycanada.ca or 613-260-2113