When the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games are mentioned, there is a spark that lights up inside Jillian Elwart.
The opportunity to compete on home water in front of friends and family is an exciting prospect that Elwart is hoping to enjoy in four years’ time.
“It is a driver as that is my home country,” said Elwart.
“First of all, representing your country at any level, whether it is national or international, Olympics or Paralympics is amazing.
“But to wear the colours in your home country, I can’t look more forward to it than I already am.”
Elwart made her Paralympic debut in Paris at the age of 41 after taking up the sport in her mid-30s.
The American paddler placed third in Final B in the women’s VL3 that featured for the first time at Paris 2024.
“I fell into the sport later in life so I am one of the more mature athletes,” said Elwart.
“But I started doing recreational canoe and kayak and then found Paracanoe in sprint.
“I started in kayak and competed in that internationally for a few years and then when COVID put the world on pause I took a step back to spend time with family and just reset as well.
“When the women’s VL3 was introduced for the Paris Games I picked up my paddle and here we are.”
Elwart is one of two paddlers representing the US, with the other, Stevan Haxton, winning bronze in the men’s VL3 at Paris 2024.
She is now calling on more people to participate in Paracanoe as excitement builds ahead of LA28.
“We are still trying to recruit athletes,” said Elwart.
“It is not quite as known in the US as it is in the other countries that we compete in, so if you know anyone, send them our way.
“It’s an amazing community, it’s a fantastic sport, you can be as aggressive with it as you want to be or if you want to do it recreationally we have got slots for that as well.”
Haxton believes LA is the “perfect place” to hold Paracanoe competition, with the Marine Stadium in Long Beach poised to stage races at the Games in 2028.
“Los Angeles has a big paddling culture,” said Haxton.
“Obviously being right on the ocean, you have a very Polynesian influence, lots of outrigger paddling, lots of ocean sport and so on and so forth.
“With the exception of Hawaii, it’s probably the biggest paddling area of the country.
“There is a lot going on and LA is going to be very happy with that.
“I think it is in the perfect place for Paracanoe to be shown.”
Haxton made history at Tokyo 2020 when he became the first-ever US paddler to win a Paracanoe medal courtesy of his men’s VL3 silver.
The 33-year-old sealed his second Paralympic medal with bronze on Sunday.
“We would love to build out our events and make sure we have somebody competitive in each one,” said Haxton.
“We have seen the team grow.
“There is more awareness and people understand the type of athlete that tends to succeed in the Paracanoe so we have seen interest from other Para athletes, particularly winter athletes that maybe want to have a summer sport.
“I think a lot of them are looking at Paracanoe and thinking this is maybe a good way to complement what I am doing in the winter.
“So I think things in the US are heading in a positive direction.”
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