Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Krystal Leesa Shaw | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada | 14 February 1994|||||||||||||||||||||||
Home town | Vancouver, British Columbia | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Paralympic swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Disability | Arthrogryposis | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Disability class | S7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Flatland Swimming Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Coached by | Michel Berube Jeff Toth | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Krystal Leesa Shaw (born 14 February 1994) is a Canadian Paralympic swimmer who competes in international level events. [1]
When she was born, she was diagnosed with arthrogryposis and was born with club feet, a dislocated hip and underdeveloped legs. She also had gastroschisis and doctors thought that she would never walk however she did manage to walk after having pins in her leg and a metal frame for six months when she was five years old, after many surgeries she took her first steps aged six years old. [2]
Shaw started swimming aged nine when she had to develop her muscles then started competing in major championships aged fourteen, she won two silver medals in a major competition where she competed against swimmers from her native country, United States and Mexico. She competed for Saskatchewan province team in the Canada Games and won a bronze medal. She participated in Canada's national Paralympic swimming team at the 2009 IPC Swimming World Championships. She had to take a seven-year break after developing a blood clot in her leg and was not allowed to swim. She resumed her career after her long break. [3]
Her highest achievement was competing for Canada at the 2019 Parapan American Games where she won four medals in eight events. [4] [5]