Renee Foessel may have a desk job, however she’s anything but a stereotypical pencil pusher.
The 26-year-old Barrie resident has worked as a records and information management clerk for the Barrie Police Service for the last two years. And while she loves her job, her true passion is on the sports field.
Foessel, who competes “just for fun” in shot put and javelin, has been a world championship team member in F38 Discus since 2011 and was a member of Team Canada at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Foessel, who was born with cerebral palsy that affects one side of her body, was also the youngest Canadian para-athlete at the 2011 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championship. In 2013, she was also named most outstanding female field performer by Athletics Ontario.
This summer, she added yet another accolade to add to that list. On June 18, for the first time in her sporting career, Foessel was able to achieve a world record in the F38 Discus with a throw of 37 metres, 83 centimetres.
Previously, the official world record was 33 metres, 97 centimetres.
That result, Foessel acknowledged, has ultimately set her highest in the rankings heading into the Tokyo Summer Paralympics.
“You get six throws and I was on my sixth throw. My coach and I had been playing around with a new technique. He told me to just go out and enjoy my last throw because I had already achieved the results I wanted,” she said.
Until that final throw she had only achieved 35 metres.
“I went in the circle and threw it and when I heard the results… my jaw dropped. I had to ask the officials to re-read it out loud to me. I was very much caught off guard and floating on cloud nine after that," Foessel said.
While the members of Team Canada won’t officially be named until the end of July, she's feeling pretty hopeful her efforts will help her make the team.
“Just thinking about it, I am smiling ear to ear. Having the opportunity to represent a country that I am so incredibly proud to be a part of is (amazing),” said Foessel, adding she is a first-generation Canadian on her mother’s side of the family.
Foessel competed in Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, where she placed fourth, and she’s excited about the opportunity to not only represent her country again, but also the city of Barrie and the Barrie Police Service.
Foessel's first medal was at the Toronto Para-PanAm Games in 2015, where she won a gold medal in discus, silver medal in shot put and a bronze medal in javelin.
“That was my first time on the podium and once you’re on the podium at that level, you want to achieve that feeling over and over again," she said.
In Rio, she placed fourth and again came just shy of the podium at the 2017 IPC World Championships in London, England.
“Having achieved a bronze and before that knowing how close I was, as an athlete it hurts. It’s a big accomplishment, but you grind and you’re really driven to get on the podium. For Tokyo, that is exactly my goal," Foessel said.
Foessel has been involved in a variety of sports since she was six years old, and has participated in everything from sledge hockey and wheelchair basketball to discus and shot put.
“Growing up, I used arm and leg braces because of my disability. I had two sisters and it was hard to keep up with them and be involved with sports. My parents wanted to advocate for me and look to support me so I could keep healthy and active,” she said.
Eventually, they were introduced to Cruiser Sports, one of largest sports organizations for people with physical disabilities in the world.
“I tried para ice hockey… and fell in love with it. From there on, it just made sense to be introduced to the other sports that were available.”
While she enjoyed the competitive team sports, Foessel said there was simply something about the individual sports that drew her in.
“There is just something so intriguing about the individuality of track and field where you have that team environment in the club, but when you’re in the circle or on the track it’s down to you taking advantage of everything you’ve learned and putting it into practice so you can achieve the result you're looking for,” she said.
“I really enjoy that aspect of taking everything I’ve learned from my support systems and putting it together," Foessel added. "Even if that result isn’t what I wanted to accomplish, it’s an opportunity to learn for the future… and the accountability is on yourself.”
Sports has not only provided Foessel with the opportunity to stay healthy, it has also given her a chance to learn a lot about herself.
“You learn so much socially and the integrity of sports is something you can carry over to so many aspects of your life. Sports allow you to have a social, physical and mental health release and that’s exactly what it is for me,” she said.
Her advice to anyone with a physical disability who may be hesitant to get involved in any sport is simply to get out and try it.
And, of course, to have fun.
“It’s an opportunity to try something new. You might like it or you might not, but you won’t know until you try. As soon as you put your mind to something you are capable of doing it,” Foessel said. “Just because it’s not the traditional way of doing something doesn't mean it’s wrong.”
The Summer Paralympics are scheduled to take place from Aug. 24 to Sep. 5.
