Marissa Papaconstantinou is one of Canada’s most celebrated para atheltes, having appeared on magazine covers and been sponsored by brands such as Nike and On.Jan Cadosch/ON/Supplied
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In 2024, Marissa Papaconstantinou was a co-captain for Team Canada during the Paralympic games. Born with a limb difference, the track athlete uses a running blade – a prosthetic lower limb designed for athletic activity – during competition. Papaconstantinou had competed at the games twice before, winning a bronze medal in 2020. But the experience in Paris felt different.
“I felt really emotional the entire trip, because I was just so floored and amazed at how many people cared about para sport,” said Papaconstantinou, 26. “That was even something new for myself and a lot of the athletes.”
It’s a change that the sprinter helped usher in. With a laundry list of awards at the national and international level — including breaking her own Canadian record this July in the in the women’s T64 100-metre race — Papaconstantinou is one of Canada’s most celebrated para athletes.
She’s appeared on the cover of magazines. She’s won sponsorship deals with big brands like On. And while the athlete is grateful for the attention, she’s equally excited that her success is opening the door for others.
We had the chance to chat with Toronto-born Papaconstantinou ahead of the The World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi. The chat centred about getting started as a sprinter, her gold medal aspirations, and the joy and pressure of representation.
What is a running blade and how is it different from other prosthetics?
All lower-limb prosthetics are technically energy-return devices, but a running blade does this at a really high level. It’s made of carbon fiber. It looks like a J shape. There’s spikes on the bottom. The one I use is meant for high-level sprinting. And essentially it just allows me to do my sport at the level I’m able to do it. In the past, there’s been a lot of stigma around running blades being a competitive advantage, but really it is just a device that absorbs the energy that you put into it and gives it back to you.
The idea of the devices as a competitive advantage is strange to me.
It’s interesting when individuals see an athlete with a disability as having a competitive advantage even though they’re at quite a disadvantage. I remember in elementary school, it was my first year with a running blade. I was so excited to do track and field because it felt like I was actually going to be on a level playing field with everyone else. I was doing long jump and a parent looked toward me and goes, That’s not fair. She has an advantage because she has one of those legs. And in that moment, I couldn’t fathom how a parent – I think they were probably just mad because I was beating their kid, but – how a parent was so upset by the fact that I was using a device that helped me move better and more efficiently.
Papaconstantinou, who has used a running blade since she was 12 years old, says she is excited that her success is opening doors for other para athletes.Jan Cadosch/ON/Supplied
You got your first blade at 12. Do you remember what it felt like to use for the first time?
I always say this, and it sounds kind of cheesy, but it literally felt like I had two feet for the first time. My level of mobility completely changed. It opened up this whole new world of what accessibility really would feel like. Prior to [getting my blade] I was doing all of my sports. I was playing soccer, basketball, and track and field on my everyday [prosthetic] leg. It’s really just a basic foot, not meant for sport or performance. So that feeling when I ran on the blade for the first time … people always ask, “Was it hard to get used to?” but it just felt so natural. It felt like that’s how I should have always been running.
Over your career, you’ve broken Canadian records and won medals at the Paralympic games. Those accomplishments have come with a lot of attention, including a sponsorship with Nike. How did that come about?
I was sponsored by Nike in 2019. It was a very new territory for shoe brands in Canada to be working with a para athlete. I was the first female Canadian para athlete to obtain a shoe deal. And it was definitely quite an amazing opportunity. It kickstarted me in so many ways and opened up so many doors to work with On and break into new territories when it comes to high performance, parasport, and having sponsorship deals. I hope it creates more of a norm for para athletes going forward in the professional sport base.
Does it ever feel like a lot of pressure being so visible in the sport? Is a title like ‘role model’ something people put on you?
It’s definitely been quite a journey but it’s a privilege. You mention this position of being a role model and a representative to others. Because I know how important that was to me growing up, the fact that I’m now kind of assuming that role … it’s a great opportunity to try to get more and more awareness of para athletes and young people coming up through the sport. We have a lot of young and promising talent coming up. And some have told me: you’re a big part of my reason for starting this. It’s amazing to hear. Aside from me pursuing the career for my own personal gain, to compete for my country, and see how fast I can go, I also feel like I am really doing my job when it comes to leaving the space better than I found it.
The Paralympics are in Los Angeles in 2028. Is that the next goal for you?
My hope is to go for gold in LA. And I’m so fortunate to have such amazing partners and sponsors coming onto my team this year, and really believing in my personal goals but also believing in the growth and development of para sport as well.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
