Brianna Hennessy Chasing a Double Paralympic Dream Despite All Odds

Brianna Hennessy is a woman like no other. While most athletes dedicate their entire lives to sports, Brianna found a new life in it after being struck with a horrific tragedy. Brianna is a beacon of courage, optimism, and opportunity as she seeks to make a name for herself in not one, but two sports.

The now-38-year-old elite athlete is looking to put her name among the greats in the sports of Para canoe and wheelchair rugby. Still, being an athlete is about so much more than medals for her, going far beyond winning or losing. Last time around, Hennessy was about two seconds away from making the Paralympics podium.

However, this close finish has only made her more emphatic about making her dreams come true.

An Inspiration to All

Hennessy was always a woman of high spirit and ambition – something that nothing and no one could change about her. The multi-sport athlete came scarily close to the jaws of death after being gravely injured from being hit by a speeding Toronto cab in 2014. However, she somehow managed to regain her mobility through grit and perseverance. When she was younger, Brianna excelled in boxing, hockey, and rugby. This inarguably factored in to give her the mental fortitude that was essential after her injury.

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Despite all odds, she got started with wheelchair rugby after her injury and very quickly paved her own path. She became the lone Canadian woman to play on an American squad with the Tampa Bay Generals in a matter of just years. Hennessy’s quick success continued on the water, picking up Para canoe in 2020.

Within no time, Hennessy won silver in the women’s VL2 200 meters and followed it up with bronze in the women’s KL1 200m in Dartmouth. Her future was clearly bright. However, Brianna still had more hurdles to face, including the demise of her mother, Nora.

Inside Brianna Hennessy

Hennessy claimed her last grand win in Dartmouth was doubly special for her. “That was the last event that (my mom) came to and when I was coming down that course I heard my coach in my right ear and my mom in my left,” the athlete said.

Hennessy is set to compete in two events this year – the VL2 heats and the KL1 heats. These games also stand as an opportunity for Hennessy to qualify for the Paris Games and shoot for the Paralympic podium once again. She hopes to make her late mother proud, saying “I’m going to take her strength to Paris with me in my boat.”

While Hennessy is already an inspiration, she’s far from done yet. Besides making her mark in the Paralympics in the waters, Hennessy has her eyes set on achieving accolades on the same level in wheelchair rugby as well. As part of the first-ever Canadian women’s team, she won bronze in the World Cup in Paris earlier this year.

“I always say once you believe in yourself, you become unstoppable,” Hennessy has said. With the amount of belief she has shown in herself so far, we’re so excited to see what Brianna Hennessey comes up with next.

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