We want to send a big CONGRATULATIONS to Shelby Newkirk for winning a bronze medal in her 100-backstroke event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics! You can watch her race here and read more about Shelby's journey with dystonia and swimming throughout the years below.
- Shelby Newkirk 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Hopeful and Freedom to Move Ambassador
This article was originally published in the DMRF Canada Spring 2020 Report and an update was provided in the Spring 2021 Report to reflect Shelby's role as Freedom to Move Ambassador (2021). To read these past issues, please click here
“I am so excited to be able to represent Canada at the Tokyo Paralympics! This is a goal that has been in my sights for so many years and while the timing has changed, I think it will be an amazing experience and I am so excited to represent Canada on the world stage!”
At 23 years old, Shelby Newkirk is a force to be reckoned with. Shelby has spent the last ten years dedicating her free time to swimming.
And she’s just getting started.
In 2019, Shelby won a silver medal in the 100 Backstroke in the Para Swimming World Championships – and that led her to a true dream come true: the opportunity to swim for the Canadian Paralympic Team in the upcoming Tokyo Paralympic Games! Shelby is also this year’s (2021) Freedom to Move: Run, Walk and Wheel for Dystonia Ambassador.
For Shelby, everything else takes a back seat to swimming: her friends work around her schedule; her family makes sacrifices to ensure she is doing everything she can to attain her dream. She’s currently taking one class to work within her training schedule; and after that, she has a few practicums left and she will be finished her Bachelor of Education degree.
Shelby has the dedication and passion of an Paralympic athlete - and on top of all of that; Shelby is a dystonia thriver. She was diagnosed with dystonia in 2010; “at first they thought it was just focal dystonia, but slowly things changed.” Shelby’s dystonia is progressive, which means that she must deal with her abilities changing over time. “There are things that I used to be able to do that I am not able to do anymore, but I have a great team of medical people here who really help me.”
A very goal-oriented person, Shelby thrives on setting small, realistic goals to achieve a sense of accomplishment while always keeping her big goals in mind. Like all of us, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot for Shelby, but through all the disruptions of this past year, the ultimate goal remains the same; “I have been focusing on balance in my life-giving both my athletic ability and creativity opportunity to shine”.
In addition to her passion for swimming, Shelby is incredibly creative She’s channeled her remarkable work ethic, and her creativity into two small businesses that she’s started from her home:
CraftyPrairieGirl: A crafting company that includes toques, mittens, and other projects – and;
AccessibleLife: Handmade products to help make life accessible.
When asked what has helped Shelby to gain perspective, Shelby credits her first coach; “She tried to understand it and learned all that she could about how to train and coach someone in my position. She talked about my dystonia in terms of chapters - she said to think of each stage as a chapter of my life. It’s not the whole part of me, but it’s the reality of my life.“
When asked if she had any advice for others dealing with a dystonia diagnosis, Shelby shared: “It’s important to know where you need help. And to realize what you can and cannot do. It’s okay to be sad about it - and then it’s okay to move ahead and live your life.”
- Shelby's Swimming Canada Bio
- Watch Shelby's Inspiring Journey (2021)
You can watch the video below or here. This video was posted by the Government of Saskatchewan.
- Shelby's Perseverance to the Podium
As a supporter of the dystonia community, you’ve likely heard of Shelby Newkirk. Shelby was diagnosed with early onset generalized dystonia at the age of 13. As an athlete from a young age, Shelby felt like she had lost part of her identity when her dystonia progressed, and she started using a wheelchair full time. When she was 15, Shelby discovered parasport, and swimming in particular, gave her a new sense of freedom. “I could leave my wheelchair on the side of the pool and just be me,” she describes.
Since 2017, Shelby has found her community in the world of parasport. She has been competing and setting records in para-swimming events internationally and her success and positive attitude have allowed her to make swimming her full-time job. In addition to competing, she is also coaching some of the up-and-coming para-swimmers. Those looking to her for guidance can be assured she knows how to work hard and achieve goals. This past summer, she took home her first Paralympic medal, winning bronze in the 100-meter backstroke at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Shelby describes her feelings about her win:
“I think when you are an athlete there is so much that goes into your performance behind the scenes: the countless hours in the pool, the training sessions in the gym, the thought that goes into nutrition, the focus on mental performance and the commitment it takes to pursue this dream. Winning this medal is not just a reminder of that single 1 minute and 20 second race. It reminds me of all the hard work and dedication I have put into this sport for years. I love getting to do this as my job. I am so proud to be able to be a Paralympic medalist, but I am even more proud of the journey that got me here and the hurdles I got through.”
What you may not know about Shelby is that packed alongside her swimsuits to Paris, were two full suitcases of yarn. While they didn’t help her in the pool, Shelby used that yarn in her downtime, flexing her creative muscles and making projects for her crocheted goods business, Crafty Prairie Girl. “Whenever I travel, I always have yarn with me. I love making this stuff and I want to share it with other. I love making people smile,” she says of Crafty Prairie girl’s inception.
Like her athletics, Shelby’s creative pursuits haven’t been without their setbacks and in turn, modifications. In 2020, Shelby noticed she had more trouble holding a crochet hook. With some creative problem solving and help from her dad, she was able to conceptualize an adapted crochet hook and bring it to life by producing it on her lathe, forging another creative venture, Accessible Life.
Shelby stresses that her relationship to dystonia and disability has changed throughout the years as she’s become more resilient. The nature of her progressive dystonia means that Shelby is always problem solving. “When you have dystonia, you’re always having to learn how to adapt and change things. It's been a lot of playing around, talking to my support team and seeing how we can make things work. I’m really happy with the things we’ve been able to do and the adaptations we’ve been able to make to live the life that I want.” Shelby talks about her creative and athletic accomplishments often using “we”. This is because she stresses the importance of her support system in
her ability to thrive. “I realize I don’t have to do it on my own. I have all these people behind me that will help me, encourage me and take the load off.”
Congratulations to Shelby on her Paralympic medal win and for being a dystonia thriver!
If you’d like to learn more about Shelby’s creative pursuits, you can follower her on Instagram @Craftyprairiegirl and @accessible_life.