UCalgary researcher Keely Shaw wins bronze on Canadian paracycling team in Paris 2024

Editor's update note: Keely Shaw won bronze on Day 2 of the Paris Paralympics, climbing the medal podium after her performance in the women’s C4 3000m individual pursuit. “Winning one medal at the Paralympics is pretty incredible but to repeat three years later is absolutely incredible,” she says on the Canadian Paralympic Committee website. It was a gruelling race, Shaw told the Toronto Star. “In order to be a good pursuiter, you need to be really good at turning off all your signals because my brain is screaming at me to stop. It is a mental game to say ‘no, you will not die.’” 

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Dr. Keely Shaw, PhD, has been training for the 2024 Paralympics in cycling for months without knowing for sure if she made the team. The exciting news came on Monday — Shaw was announced as one of seven paracyclists who will race for Canada in Paris. She heads for a staging camp in Bromont, Que.,  Aug. 8-20, and then on to Paris where she competes in road events Sept. 4-7. 

Shaw is also a postdoctoral scholar in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Cumming School of Medicine at UCalgary. She conducts research in exercise physiology and nutrition, examining iron levels in female athletes. 

Shaw shares how she started on this journey into paracycling, scholarship and research.

Question: How did you get into paracycling?

Answer: When I was a kid, hockey was my sport. I had big dreams of going to the Olympic Games. Then when I was 15 years old, I fell off my horse and I broke a blood vessel in my brain that left me, at the time, completely paralyzed on the left side of my body. I still have reduced function, co-ordination, and ability on the left side of my body. 

I went back to playing hockey, but it was frustrating because I was constantly comparing myself to the athlete I used to be, and I eventually gave up on that dream.

That changed for me during my undergraduate degree at the University of Saskatchewan. A classmate asked if I would be interested in parasports. She told me about all of the incredible opportunities parasports could provide — from travelling the world to access to the best coaches and practitioners. She invited me to meet her sport scientist who assessed me and said I was eligible and to pick a sport. Since I already had an entry level bike that I was commuting back and forth to the university with, I had the equipment and could begin training.

Q: When did cycling turn into a professional pursuit?

A: In 2016, after finishing my undergraduate degree, I bought myself a proper road bike to celebrate. Anytime I meet someone who claims not to enjoy riding a bike, I encourage them to try a better bike — it will change your whole world and your outlook on cycling.  

I began training up to 50 and 60 kilometers and finally entered a local race. I completely fell in love with the sport. I loved the camaraderie of the group and the physicality of the sport. It was like that hole in my heart that had been there since I played hockey suddenly started to heal.

Sometimes I walk a little bit funny, or limp or trip over my feet, but when I ride a bike, all that goes away. Suddenly I feel strong. I feel co-ordinated. I feel powerful. When I got home from that race, I knew I would pursue paracycling. I was put in touch with the national team development coach who invited me to a training camp in Quebec. I did my first national championships in 2017, and by 2018 I would place fifth in my first World Championships. I’ve been competing ever since.

Q: What is your area of study?

A: I have three degrees in kinesiology — undergrad, master's, and PhD from the University of Saskatchewan — and I’m currently a postdoctoral scholar in the faculties of Kinesiology and Medicine at UCalgary. 

My doctoral work was in iron deficiency and I'm continuing that here working with Drs. Jane Shearer, PhD, and Martin MacInnis, PhD. We are working on a new delivery of iron — hoping to get rid of some of the side-effects that come from iron supplementation such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation that limit compliance with using iron. 

We know that iron deficiency is prevalent across the globe and female athletes tend to be disproportionately affected. You'd be hard pressed to find a female endurance athlete who hasn't supplemented with iron or has been recommended to supplement with iron at one point in their life — this is the group our research will focus on, but there may be applications beyond this group as well. 

Q: How do you balance training and university studies and research?

A: I don't necessarily try to balance them. I think it's more of a purposeful imbalance. There’re times in my life when I need to be fully in research, whether that's data collection or putting together projects, and there's times in my life when I need to be all in on cycling. Research and cycling complement each other in my life. It allows me to switch gears and never get too caught up in one thing.

When I’m training, I have to go to bed at a good time, nourish my body with good food and go out and exercise 10, 15, 20 hours a week. I can’t sit in front of my computer for 12 hours a day and I think that made me a better grad student. Because I didn't have as much time, I had to make the best of what I did have. Some of my best thinking and most creative ideas come to me while I’m riding my bike.

Participate in a study

Dr. Shaw will be recruiting female endurance athletes ages 14 to 30 years for a study. To see if you are eligible to participate, contact Dr. Keely Shaw at keely.shaw@ucalgary.ca.