2024 Manitoba Building Conference and Expo Luncheon

Pushing Limits: Lessons from Local Olympians on Discipline and Overcoming Setbacks

Moderator
Ace Burpee

Panelists
Leanne Taylor
After a life changing cycling accident in 2018 left her paralyzed from the waist down, Leanne at twenty-five years old, had to rebuild her life from the ground up. Determined to create a fulfilling life and move forward, Leanne set a lofty goal of completing a triathlon, using only her arms, just 8-months after her injury. And she did it. Fast forward six year and Leanne became the first Canadian Women to earn a medal in Paratriathlon by earning a bronze medal in Paris 2024. Leanne also excels in her day job as a Compliance Officer at a pharmaceutical company where she was recognized as one of the Top 25 Women in Biotechnology in 2022. Leanne loves connecting with members of the community as she believes that it is from those connections that she was able to move on after her injury.

Skylar Park
Born into a family of 16 black belts, Skylar Park seems to have Taekwondo in her DNA. Her grandfather is a grandmaster, her father and mother are masters and her coaches, both her brothers, all 10 cousins, aunts, and uncles are black belts, too. Skylar’s family has created a close-knit community that’s made her one of the most promising – and proven – taekwondo athletes Canada has ever seen. Entering the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as the Pan American Champion, Skylar fought through adversity to bring home a bronze medal for Canada, making her only the third Canadian to win an Olympic medal in Taekwondo. Beyond her many accolades, Skylar runs taekwondo and self-defense clinics for the next generation of girls to build confidence and stay in sports.