In this series of short profiles, Capital Current introduces key persons of influence in the city to the community.
Who is she?
Trinity Lowthian is a 23-year-old wheelchair fencer and student at the University of Ottawa.
What is her background?
As an able-bodied child growing up in Ottawa, Lowthian experimented with a number of sports, dreaming of one day representing Team Canada at the Olympics.
During high school, she was diagnosed with autoimmune autonomic neuropathy, a disorder in which the immune system attacks the nervous system, impairing control of some functions. After many hospital stints, Lowthian became reliant on a wheelchair, causing her to change course.
“When I was a kid, I was very obsessed with the Olympics,” she said. “Once I became disabled and started using a wheelchair, I realized, ‘Oh … that opens up the Paralympics for me’.”
She focused on wheelchair fencing as her sport of choice. Lowthian believed she would have a better chance at landing a spot on the national team because of the sport’s obscurity. Her plan worked: Just over two years after her wheelchair fencing career began, Lowthian qualified for the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.
These days she is beginning a Master’s in sport management at uOttawa and is working as an intern with the Canadian Paralympics Committee.
What is she known for in Ottawa?
Lowthian placed fifth in Paris, Canada’s best-ever result in wheelchair fencing at the Paralympic Games.
She is ranked No. 5 in the world in her category and is the youngest in the top 33 worldwide. Recently, Lowthian competed at the 2025 Para Fencing World Championships, placing ninth in women’s épée B, her chosen fencing category.
What do people say about her?
Her coach, Paul ApSimon, told the Ottawa Citizen that he has never seen a fencer progress as quickly as her.
“Right from Day OIne, it was pretty evident that Trinity had this force, this fight within her, and that is not something that is teachable in fencing,” ApSimon told Ottawa Sports Pages. “She perseveres. She’s a fighter.”
What is a lesser known fact about her?
Lowthian competed in Para nordic skiing between 2022 and 2023, winning gold in two races for the University of Ottawa. She no longer competes in the sport and instead uses it as a way to enjoy the outdoor trails that are otherwise inaccessible as a wheelchair user, she said.
