Shelby’s Bio

• At the 2023 Bell Canadian Swimming Trials in Toronto, Newkirk claimed multi-class gold medals in the women’s 50-m freestyle and 100 backstroke, as well as silver in the 100 free. She set Canadian S6 records in the 50 (33.36)and 100 free (1:14.52).
• Her performance qualified her for the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships team in Manchester, England.
• At the 2022 Ken Demchuk International Invitational, Newkirk broke the Canadian record in the 200-m backstroke S6 in a time of 3:03.14.
• At the Madeira 2022 World Para Swimming Championships, Newkirk won gold in the 100-m backstroke S6. She placed 4^th in both the 50-m freestyle S6 and the 100-m freestyle S6, where she broke the Canadian record. Newkirk was also a member of the mixed 4×50-m medley 20 points relay that placed 8^th and the mixed 4×100-m medley 34 points relay that placed 8^th. Both relays broke Canadian records.
• At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Newkirk set Canadian records in every event in which she competed at her first Games. Newkirk finished fourth in the women’s 100-m backstroke S6 and ninth in the women’s 50-m freestyle S6. Newkirk competed up a class and finished 11^th in the 100-m freestyle S7 and set a Canadian record in the S6 sport class.
• At the 2018 Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships, Newkirk won gold in the 100-m back S7. She was also a part of the women’s 4×100-m medley relay that took home bronze.
• At the London 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, Newkirk claimed her first medal in her first career appearance at worlds, silver in the 100-m backstroke S7. She also competed in the 50-m freestyle S7 (9^th) and 100-m freestyle S7 (14^th), and helped the 4×100-m medley relay 34 points to a fourth-place finish. Thanks to her performance in the 100 back, she was nominated to the Canadian Paralympic Committee to represent the country at Tokyo 2020.
• At the 2019 Canadian Swimming Trials in Toronto, Newkirk broke her own S7 world record in the women’s multi-class 100-m backstroke preliminaries, before winning gold in the evening final. She also broke the world record in the 200 backstroke. She added a multi-class bronze medal in the 100-m freestyle.
• At the 2022 Bell Canadian Swimming Trials Newkirk won the 50-m and 100-m backstroke multi-class events, and took silver in the 100 free, setting S6 Canadian records in all three events.  Her performances qualified her for the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships.
• Shelby Newkirk won gold and broke her own world record twice in the S7 100-metre backstroke at the 2018 Canadian Swimming Trials in Edmonton. She also captured silver in the 100-m freestyle and bronze in the 50-m butterfly.
• Swimming Canada’s 2017 and 2018 Female Para-swimmer of the Year.
• Shelby Newkirk set a world record in the S7 50-m backstroke at the 2018 World Para Swimming World Series in Berlin.
• At the 2017 Para-swimming Canadian Open, Newkirk broke the world record in the 100-m backstroke.
• Entering the Mexico City 2017 World Para Swimming Championships, she holds three Canadian records, including the S7 100-m backstroke, which she considers her best event.
• At the 2017 Canada Summer Games, Newkirk captured six medals, including four gold in the 50-m freestyle, 100-m backstroke and breaststroke, and the 200-m individual medley.
• At the 2017 Canadian Swimming Championships, Newkirk claimed silver in the 50-m freestyle in a personal best time.
• At the 2017 Can Am Para-swimming Championships, Newkirk took home three gold medals in the 50-m freestyle, the 100-m freestyle and the 100-m backstroke event. She also added a bronze medal in the 50-m butterfly.
• Newkirk’s biggest influence is her first swim coach, Karen Williams, who taught her so much about para-sport and about her disability.
• Newkirk comes from a competitive athletic family, including her younger brother Cole, who is a 6-foot-8 basketball player.
• Newkirk started swimming in 2012 as a new outlet for her competitive spirit when she began developing generalized dystonia, a progressive neurological disorder similar to Parkinson’s that affects movement, balance and coordination. She played basketball, volleyball and competed in track until age 13.

Quick Facts

Twitter: @shelby_newkirk

Instagram: @shelbylnewkirk

Favourite Movie: The Proposal

Favourite Book: Harry Potter (the whole series)

Favourite TV Show: Rizzoli and Isles, Bones and Corner Gas

Favourite Actor: Daniel Radcliffe

Favourite band: Thomas Rhett, The Reklaws, or anything country

Place to Visit: Iceland or anywhere tropical

Music behind the blocks: Country

Pre-race Meal: Pasta

Guilty Pleasure: Anything chocolate