KC Fraser

Biography

It was in December 2009 that KC Fraser decided to make one final run at making the National Team. She already had many national championship medals to her credit, but with a newfound sense of motivation and the guidance of coach Peter Martinek, she achieved her goal in half a year. Showing continual improvement, Fraser won her first World Cup medal, a bronze in the K-2 200m with Genevieve Orton in 2011. At the 2011 Pan American Games she was a member of the K-4 500m gold medal crew. She just missed out on qualifying for the lone Canadian women’s kayak berth at London 2012. Fraser began the next season with four World Cup medals in K-2 and K-4 events and capped it with a sixth place finish in the K-4 500m at the 2013 World Championships, Canada best result in the event in a decade. In 2014 she won a World Cup silver medal in the K-2 1000m and competed in both the K-4 500m and K-2 500m at the world championships. Returning to the Pan American Games in 2015, Fraser was a member of the K-4 500m crew that won gold for Canada’s first medal of the home Games. In 2016 she teamed with Orton to qualify Canada for Rio 2016 in the K-2 500m by winning the Pan American Continental Qualifier. The duo then had to win a national race-off to finally secure their Olympic spots.

Getting to Know…

Getting into the Sport: Started paddling at 14 at a summer program at Pointe-Claire Canoe Club… Her mother wanted to keep her out of trouble by enrolling her in as many sports as possible… Discovered it was a sport she was passionate about it and having fun with; could see herself being able to go far in it… Olympic dream began when she saw an Olympian at her own paddling club… Outside Interests: Enjoys taking dance classes or art classes, camping, traveling, dog sledding, hiking… Has a Bachelor of Arts in Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism from Lakehead University… Odds and Ends:  Favourite motto: “Get out of your comfort zone”…