Mel Pemble

Last updated
Mel Pemble
Personal information
National teamCanada
Born (2000-04-22) April 22, 2000 (age 24)
Lancashire, England
Home town Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Website melpemble.weebly.com
Sport
Sport
  • Para alpine skiing
  • Para cycling
Disability class C3
Achievements and titles
World finals
Medal record
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Women's track cycling
Track World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Omnium C3
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Scratch race C3
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Glasgow Omnium C3
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2023 Glasgow Scratch race C3
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2024 Rio de Janeiro Time trial C3
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2023 Glasgow Time trial C3
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2024 Rio de Janeiro Omnium C3
Parapan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Santiago, Chile Pursuit C1–3
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2023 Santiago, Chile Time trial C1–5

Mel Pemble is a Canadian para alpine skier and para cyclist. She won back-to-back gold medals in omnium C3 at the 2022 and 2023 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championship s. She won two medals in para-cycling at the 2023 Parapan American Games.

Contents

Early life and education

Pemble was born in Lancashire, England with cerebral palsy affecting her right side. [1] Her parents thought it would be good for her to take up a sport to help with her balance and coordination. [2] She moved to Victoria, British Columbia at age 9 with her parents. [3] She twisted her knee after an early skiing lesson in France, but took up para-skiing again after moving to Canada. [1]

Pemble graduated from the Canadian Sports School-Victoria. [4]

Career

Para-skiing

At the 2015 Canada Winter Games, Pemble won the women’s Giant Slalom Para female race. [5] She also won a silver medal in slalom para alpine skiing at the Games. [6]

Pemble competed at the 2018 Winter Paralympics as the youngest Canadian skiier at the games. [7] She finished eleventh in women's giant slalom, [8] and women's super-G, [9] and ninth in women's downhill [10] and women's super combined. [11] She did not finish in women's slalom. [12]

She competed at the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships. Pemble made the decision to end her para-skiing career in 2020. [1]

Para-cycling

When she was 14, the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific's Podium Search program identified Pemble for para-cycling. She competed at the provincial level and used the sport as cross-training for skiing. She was coached by Kurt Innes, who later coached her upon her return to the sport in 2020 after a five-year break from the sport. [1]

She made her world debut in para-cycling competing at the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, at which she won a gold medal in omnium [13] and scratch race. [14] [15] She set a para-cycling world record in the non-medaled 200-metre sprint in 2022. [16] [17] She also placed third in the 500m time trial and fourth in the four-kilometre individual pursuit. [1]

At the 2023 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Pemble won gold in omnium, a bronze medal in the time trial event, and a silver in the women’s C3 scratch race. [18]

Pemble competed at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile. She won the gold medal in the women's 3,000-metre C1-3 individual pursuit. [19] She finished fourth in the women's individual road race C1–3 [20] and seventh in the women's individual road time trial C1–5. [21]

She won a silver medal in the women’s C3 500m time trial and a bronze medal in the women's C3 omnium at the 2024 UCI Para Cycling Track World Championships. [22] Also at the 2024 UCI Para Cycling Championships, Pemble placed 5th in the Individual Pursuit and 6th in the Scratch Race. [23]

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References

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  2. Dheenshaw, Cleve (2018-03-09). "She took up skiing to help with cerebral palsy, now she's at Paralympics". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  3. Dheenshaw, Cleeve (2023-11-26). "Pemble's gold caps six-medal performance by Island athletes at Para Pan Am Games". Victoria Times Colonist. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  4. Dheenshaw, Cleve (2019-05-25). "Canadian Sport School-Victoria a pipeline to national teams". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  5. Dheenshaw, Cleve (2015-02-17). "Pemble gives Island first medal at Canada Winter Games". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  6. Dheenshaw, Cleve (2015-03-01). "Islanders made mark at Canada Winter Games". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  7. Depner, Wolf (2018-02-26). "Saanich skier reaching for top of podium in South Korea". Saanich News. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
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  9. "PyeongChang 2018 - alpine-skiing - womens-super-g-standing". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  10. "PyeongChang 2018 - alpine-skiing - womens-downhill-standing". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  11. "PyeongChang 2018 - alpine-skiing - womens-super-combined-standing". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  12. "PyeongChang 2018 - alpine-skiing - womens-slalom-standing". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  13. "Canadian Para-cyclist Mel Pemble crowned omnium world champion". CBC. 2022-10-03.
  14. "Mel Pemble hauls in 1st Canadian gold medal at Para-cycling track worlds". cbc.ca. 2022-10-21.
  15. Hansen, Matt (2022-10-21). "Para-cycling world championships day 2: Mel Pemble wins scratch". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  16. "Pemble Wins Rainbow Jersey at Para Cycling World Championships". Cycling BC. 2022-10-21.
  17. Dheenshaw, Cleve (2022-10-21). "Victoria cyclist eyes Paris 2024 after gold medal at world championships". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  18. "B.C.'s Mel Pemble clinches women's C3 omnium title at worlds". The Globe and Mail. 2023-08-08. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  19. "GOLD MEDAL: Victoria's Mel Pemble captures 3,000m C1-3 individual pursuit Parapan Am title". CBC. 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  20. Hansen, Matt (2023-11-28). "Canadian Paracyclists take more two medals at Parapan Am Games road races". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  21. "Women's C1-5 Individual Time Trial Results" (PDF).
  22. "Canada's Mel Pemble claims bronze in omnium at Para track cycling worlds in Rio". CBC. 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  23. "Canada wins four medals at UCI Para Cycling World Championships in Rio | Canadian Paralympic Committee". Paralympic Canada. 2024-03-26. Retrieved 2024-05-28.