Kia Byers
Bio
Edit BioWhen Kia Byers just fell short of earning a berth on the 2008 Olympic Games, her Olympic dream was not over. It was just put on hold. Byers was only 20-years-old back then and she was well aware that most of the world’s top paddlers don’t hit their stride until their mid-twenties. In fact, the 2012 Olympics had been her objective when she started paddling. It was just accelerated when she began to produce strong international results in 2005 and won two medals including a gold at the 2007 Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro.
In 2010, Byers is Canada’s K-1 200-metre Queen – which is the new Olympic distance for 2012 – and she will test herself in the event against an Olympic calibre field at the world championships. ‘’I knew I would be a contender in the 200 this year but I had a big challenge in wrestling the spot from Emilie Fournel and Genevieve Orton. I worked a lot on technical stuff this year and that really helped my speed.’’
Last year, Byers made headlines across the country when her Pan Am medals and her bronze earned in the relay at the world championships last year in Halifax were stolen. They were taken from her car while she was at a speaking engagement on the positive values of sport in Saskatoon.
Originally from Regina, Byers got her start in paddling at the age of 9 after watching the Wascana Racing Canoe Club’s annual Canada Day Regatta with her father. He asked the coach if she could join, and once she tried it she was hooked.
Byers is a student in the faculty of education at the University of Regina.
Action Shots
NTT2, 2010
NTT2, 2010
NTT2, 2010
NTT2, 2010
World Cup 3
Results
2011
May World Cup #2 - Racice, CZE - K1 - 200M 9th
May World Cup #3 - Duisburg, GER - K1 200M B Final 2nd
2010
May National Team Trials 1 - Montreal, QC - K-1 200, 1st
Jun. World Cup #3 - Duisburg, Germany - K1 200m 3rd B final
Jun. World Cup #3 - Duisburg, Germany - K4 500m 7th
Jun. World Cup #3 - Duisburg, Germany - KR Relay4 x 200m 2nd
2009
Jun. World Cup #3 - Szeged, Hungary - K4 500m 2nd
May. World Cup #2 - Poznan, Poland - K2 500m 7th
2008
Jul. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-1 500M 1st
Jul. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-1 500M 1st
Jul. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-2 500M 1st
Jun. ICF World Cup # 1 - Szeged, Hungary - K-2 500M 8th
Jun. ICF World Cup # 1 - Szeged, Hungary - K-4 500M 7th
May. Pan American Canoe and Kayak Championships - Montreal, QC - K-1 200M 1st
May. Pan American Canoe and Kayak Championships - Montreal, QC - K-4 200M 6th
May. Pan American Canoe and Kayak Championships - Montreal, QC - K-4 1000M 2nd
May. Olympic Team Selection Trials - Lake Lanier, Georgia - K-1 500M (Day 2) 1st
May. Olympic Team Selection Trials - Lake Lanier, Georgia - K-2 500M 2nd
May. Olympic Team Selection Trials - Lake Lanier, Georgia - K-1 500M 3rd
May. Olympic Team Selection Trials - Lake Lanier, Georgia - K-4 500M 2nd
2007
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - K-2 200M 3rd
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - K-1 1000M 3rd
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - K-4 500M 3rd
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - K-2 1000M 3rd
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - K-4 200M 3rd
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - Junior K-1 200M 3rd
Jul. Pan American Games - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - K-2 500m 1st
Jul. Pan American Games - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - K-4 500m 3rd
Jul. Lake Placid International Regatta - Lake Placid, USA - K-4 500m 2nd
Jul. Lake Placid International Regatta - Lake Placid, USA - K-2 1000m 1st
Jun. National Team Trials # 3 - Dartmouth, NS - K-1 500m 3rd
Jun. National Team Trials # 3 - Dartmouth, NS - K-2 500m 2nd
Jun. National Team Trials # 3 - Dartmouth, NS - D-Card K-1 500m 2nd
May. ICF World Cup # 2 - Szeged, Hungary - K-2 200m 8th
May. ICF World Cup # 1 - Zagreb, Croatia - K-2 500m 8th
Apr. National Team Trials # 1 - Lake Lanier, Georgia, US - K-2 500m 1st
Apr. National Team Trials # 1 (Day 2) - Lake Lanier, Georgia, US - K-1 500m 9th
2006
Jun. International Regatta - Bydgoszcz, Poland - K2 500m U23 3rd
Jun. International Regatta - Bydgoszcz, Poland - K1 1000m U23 9th
Jun. International Regatta - Bydgoszcz, Poland - K2 1000m U23 2nd
Jun. Herdecker Canoe Regatta - Herdecker, Germany - Open K1 250m 3rd
Jun. Herdecker Canoe Regatta - Herdecker, Germany - Open K2 250m 2nd
Jun. Herdecker Canoe Regatta - Herdecker, Germany - Open K1 500m 4th
Jun. Herdecker Canoe Regatta - Herdecker, Germany - Open K2 500m 2nd
May. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-1 500m 3rd
May. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-2 500m 2nd
May. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-1 500m 2nd
2005
Aug. Canadian Championships - Montreal, QC - K-4 500m 1st
Aug. Canadian Championships - Montreal, QC - K-1 200m 1st
Aug. Junior World Championships - Szeged, Hungary - K-2 1000m 8th
Aug. Junior World Championships - Szeged, Hungary - K-4 500m 6th
2003
Aug. Canadian Championships - Welland, ON - K-2 1000m 1st
2011
May World Cup #2 - Racice, CZE - K1 - 200M 9th
May World Cup #3 - Duisburg, GER - K1 200M B Final 2nd
2010
May National Team Trials 1 - Montreal, QC - K-1 200, 1st
Jun. World Cup #3 - Duisburg, Germany - K1 200m 3rd B final
Jun. World Cup #3 - Duisburg, Germany - K4 500m 7th
Jun. World Cup #3 - Duisburg, Germany - KR Relay4 x 200m 2nd
2009
Jun. World Cup #3 - Szeged, Hungary - K4 500m 2nd
May. World Cup #2 - Poznan, Poland - K2 500m 7th
2008
Jul. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-1 500M 1st
Jul. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-1 500M 1st
Jul. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-2 500M 1st
Jun. ICF World Cup # 1 - Szeged, Hungary - K-2 500M 8th
Jun. ICF World Cup # 1 - Szeged, Hungary - K-4 500M 7th
May. Pan American Canoe and Kayak Championships - Montreal, QC - K-1 200M 1st
May. Pan American Canoe and Kayak Championships - Montreal, QC - K-4 200M 6th
May. Pan American Canoe and Kayak Championships - Montreal, QC - K-4 1000M 2nd
May. Olympic Team Selection Trials - Lake Lanier, Georgia - K-1 500M (Day 2) 1st
May. Olympic Team Selection Trials - Lake Lanier, Georgia - K-2 500M 2nd
May. Olympic Team Selection Trials - Lake Lanier, Georgia - K-1 500M 3rd
May. Olympic Team Selection Trials - Lake Lanier, Georgia - K-4 500M 2nd
2007
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - K-2 200M 3rd
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - K-1 1000M 3rd
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - K-4 500M 3rd
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - K-2 1000M 3rd
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - K-4 200M 3rd
Aug. Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships - Ottawa, Ontario - Junior K-1 200M 3rd
Jul. Pan American Games - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - K-2 500m 1st
Jul. Pan American Games - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - K-4 500m 3rd
Jul. Lake Placid International Regatta - Lake Placid, USA - K-4 500m 2nd
Jul. Lake Placid International Regatta - Lake Placid, USA - K-2 1000m 1st
Jun. National Team Trials # 3 - Dartmouth, NS - K-1 500m 3rd
Jun. National Team Trials # 3 - Dartmouth, NS - K-2 500m 2nd
Jun. National Team Trials # 3 - Dartmouth, NS - D-Card K-1 500m 2nd
May. ICF World Cup # 2 - Szeged, Hungary - K-2 200m 8th
May. ICF World Cup # 1 - Zagreb, Croatia - K-2 500m 8th
Apr. National Team Trials # 1 - Lake Lanier, Georgia, US - K-2 500m 1st
Apr. National Team Trials # 1 (Day 2) - Lake Lanier, Georgia, US - K-1 500m 9th
2006
Jun. International Regatta - Bydgoszcz, Poland - K2 500m U23 3rd
Jun. International Regatta - Bydgoszcz, Poland - K1 1000m U23 9th
Jun. International Regatta - Bydgoszcz, Poland - K2 1000m U23 2nd
Jun. Herdecker Canoe Regatta - Herdecker, Germany - Open K1 250m 3rd
Jun. Herdecker Canoe Regatta - Herdecker, Germany - Open K2 250m 2nd
Jun. Herdecker Canoe Regatta - Herdecker, Germany - Open K1 500m 4th
Jun. Herdecker Canoe Regatta - Herdecker, Germany - Open K2 500m 2nd
May. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-1 500m 3rd
May. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-2 500m 2nd
May. National Team Trials # 2 - Montreal, QC - K-1 500m 2nd
2005
Aug. Canadian Championships - Montreal, QC - K-4 500m 1st
Aug. Canadian Championships - Montreal, QC - K-1 200m 1st
Aug. Junior World Championships - Szeged, Hungary - K-2 1000m 8th
Aug. Junior World Championships - Szeged, Hungary - K-4 500m 6th
2003
Aug. Canadian Championships - Welland, ON - K-2 1000m 1st
