Former Flin Flonner Samantha Ryan is basking in the light of a historic triumph at the Summer Paralympics in Rio.
The 17-year-old swimmer set a new Canadian record in the women’s S10 100m butterfly, finishing in fifth place in the finals, less than a second away from a bronze medal.
“It was really good,” said Ryan, who now lives in Saskatoon. “The crowds, all the people who showed up for swimming, were really amazing.”
Ryan’s parents and sisters travelled to Rio to cheer her on, wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan ‘Team Ryan.” At one point during an event, the Ryan family was featured on the television screen, and proudly showed off the shirts.
“It made me laugh and kind of calmed me down a bit,” said Ryan.
“After, when I was done racing, I went up and saw them and I was so happy they were there.”
Ryan was eligible for the Paralympics by virtue of a condition known as “foot drop,” a nerve and muscle disorder that limits a person’s ability to control their feet. The condition means Ryan is listed as a S10 swimmer, meaning she has “minimal physical impairments.”
Ryan moved to Flin Flon as a child, spending nine years as a resident before moving to Saskatoon.
“I lived at the lake, out by Bakers Narrows,” she said. “I remember the summers, having the lake right in front of you, and in the winter having an ice rink right in front of you.”
While Ryan didn’t swim competitively until she moved to Saskatoon, she started training as a swimmer with the Aqua Jets swim team in
Flin Flon.
“I was never really competitive about it or really into it. I sort of just did it because a few of my friends did it,” said Ryan, who now trains with the Saskatoon Goldfins, a club whose members have won international medals.
“If I hadn’t started swimming, even for fun in Flin Flon with the Aqua Jets, then I never would have joined the Goldfins in Saskatoon and be able to go to Rio.”
Ryan will now enjoy some downtime before starting to train again.
Ryan also took part in four other events at the Games, including the women’s S10 4x100m 34-point freestyle relay, the women’s S10 4x100m 34-point medley relay and the women’s S10 50m and 100m freestyle.
Ryan also won a silver medal in the women’s S10 100m butterfly at last summer’s Parapan Am Games in Toronto, and two bronze medals at the 2014 Pan Pacific Paraswimming Championships.
