Cindy Ouellet among Canadian Paralympians on mission to impact medical field

Cindy Ouellet is determined to build herself a new hip.

The six-time Paralympian, who will soon begin her PhD in Neuroscience at Laval University, intends to create a prosthetic that is more technologically advanced and comfortable to wear than her current build.

Oulette is among a handful of Paralympians on a mission to impact the medical field. All of which are paving a new path in the industry as they seek answers on their own diagnoses, develop unique solutions, and defy expectations of their capabilities.

"I don't think there's a lot of people that can say, 'hey, I made my own leg,'" Ouellet told CBC Sports.

Ouellet, whose left pelvis and left femur were surgically removed after her bone cancer diagnosis at age 11, has been wearing the same hip prosthetic ever since. Now, she says the 20-year-old prosthetic is beginning to fall apart, creating a sense of urgency in the project.

According to Oulette, the current prosthetic hips are not as advanced as they could be.

"They are still very mechanical. There's not a lot of people that have half of the pelvis amputated like me, so there's not a lot of research," Oulette said. "But to me, it's personal."

With her sights set on LA 2028, Oulette also aims to build her new hip within the next three to five years. She's motivated to not only improve her own quality of life, but to better the lives of others in the same position.

"To actually have a leg will help in everyday life for sure. If I can get a few more years of walking, I'll take it," she said.

One province over on the University of Ottawa campus sits Bianca Borgella, a fourth-year student of Neurology and Biomedical Sciences, fresh off her Paralympic debut at Paris 2024.

Her own visual condition, Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), motivates her to become an expert in the field.

"Why not? I want to find cures for different eyesight. I always wonder, how does it feel to see 20/20?" Borgella told CBC Sports.

LCA is a condition that affects a baby's retinas at birth, causing loss in some, or all eyesight. With this rare condition, Borgella's eyesight has been gradually improving over time, which is uncommon compared to the decrease in vision that others experience.

She aims to understand these differences, and in doing so, potentially find ways to help others regain or stabilize their own vision loss.