Pat Anderson, Katarina Roxon named Canada's flag-bearers for Paris Paralympics opening ceremony

Basketball player Pat Anderson and swimmer Katarina Roxon, who have a combined total of nine Paralympic appearances, will lead Canada’s delegation at Wednesday's opening ceremony at 1:20 p.m. ET at Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris.

Announced as flag-bearers on Tuesday, they are part of the 126-member Canadian team aiming to build on their performance from three years ago at the Tokyo Paralympics, where they won 21 medals, including five gold.

For 45-year-old Anderson, this will be his sixth and final Paralympic Games. He has previously won three gold medals and a silver, beginning with the 2000 Sydney Games.

“This is a significant honor and a special moment,” Anderson said in a news release from the Canadian Paralympic Committee. “It’s a great opportunity to represent wheelchair basketball on the global stage and the entire Canadian Paralympic Team.”

“I was really surprised to be chosen, but I’ll rise to the occasion. It’s going to be an amazing experience.”

At 31, Roxon will become the first Canadian female swimmer to compete in five Paralympics, marking a milestone 16 years after her debut in Beijing in 2008.

“I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet,” Roxon commented. “When I was told about this, I was thrilled to be recognized among such outstanding Canadian athletes. Reflecting on my journey from my first Games in 2008 to now, being named a flag bearer is an incredible honor and privilege.”

Anderson and his wheelchair basketball team secured their spot in Paris by defeating Italy 72-60 at a men’s repechage tournament in Antibes, France, in April. The Canadian team, which has participated in every Games since 1968, is striving for its first gold since 2012 in London, after winning Paralympic titles in 2000 and 2004. Anderson also earned a silver medal in 2008.

“From my first Games in Sydney, we were confident in our chances for gold,” Anderson told reporters during a Zoom call from Europe. “We were a young and hungry team back then, and while this team is also young and motivated, we need to progress gradually and improve throughout the tournament.”

Last fall, Anderson led Canada to Parapan Am bronze in Santiago, Chile, averaging 17.8 points per game and securing a spot at the final Paralympic qualifier in Antibes.

After Paris, Anderson, who was born in Edmonton and raised in Fergus, Ont., plans to give back to wheelchair basketball. “I’m grateful to have had the chance to play with and against a new generation of talent,” said Anderson, who lost both legs below the knee in a 1989 accident. “I’ve witnessed and been part of the game’s evolution.”

Before returning to his other interests, such as motivational speaking and creating music with his wife, Anna, and their band The Lay Awakes, Anderson will pursue another Paralympic medal starting Friday against France at Bercy Arena in Paris.

Roxon, from Corner Brook, N.L., will also begin her Games on Friday in the women’s SB8 100-metre breaststroke and will compete in the 200m event on September 5.

Recently, the two-time Paralympic medallist expressed that pre-competition nerves are always present but mixed with excitement. “It’s always incredibly exciting to represent my family, town, province, and country,” Roxon said, who was born with her left arm missing below the elbow.

In her debut at the 2008 Paralympics, 15-year-old Roxon was the youngest Canadian swimmer in Beijing, finishing 12th in the 100m breaststroke. She improved to fifth place in London four years later and won her first Paralympic medal with a Canadian record in the 100m breaststroke at the 2016 Rio Games. In Tokyo, Roxon was fourth in the breaststroke and earned bronze in the team event.

“Each experience is unique and a learning opportunity,” said Roxon, who now lives in Kippens, N.L. “As a veteran with this team, I’m focused on having fun and achieving my goals.”

This time, Roxon’s family, partner, and friends will be in Paris to support her. “I’m thankful for all the support I’ve received over the past 20 years,” Roxon said, a bronze medallist at the 2022 and 2023 world championships. “It’s a blessing to have people cheering for me.”

Canada’s co-chef de mission Karolina Wisniewska added, “Katarina and Pat are both deserving of this honor. They are among Canada’s most accomplished Paralympians and have been leaders on their teams for many years, significantly impacting their sports and Para sport overall.”