Canadian medalists from the last Paralympic Games in Paris received $535,000 in recognition of their exploits.
This is the first time that Paralympic athletes have seen their achievements rewarded at the same level as their compatriots participating in the Olympic Games.
This Paralympic performance recognition program, funded by the Canadian Paralympic Foundation, was announced last January and will be implemented for each edition of the Paralympic Games.
The Canadian Paralympic team collected 29 medals in Paris: 10 gold and bronze, in addition to nine silver. This is the most gold medals won by Canada since the Beijing 2008 Games. The Canadian haul also surpassed the total of 21 podiums won at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
A total of 31 team members won medals in Paris, including six multiple medalists and one team sport, women’s sitting volleyball. Athletes received $20,000 per gold medal, $15,000 per silver medal and $10,000 per bronze medal, equal to the amounts paid to their Olympic counterparts.
In addition to the recognition of Paralympic performances, the Team Canada podium scholarships provided an additional $195,000 to Paralympic medalists, representing a subsidy of $5,000 per medal won at the Paris Games. These scholarships are awarded to Paralympic and Olympic medalists and have been set up for the Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024 Games, as well as the upcoming Milan Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
