Justina Di Stasio was one of the Indigenous North Americans who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Paris-More than 50 Indigenous athletes competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris from July 26 to Aug. 11, and several of those were from Canada and the United States. Paris was the main host city with events held at 16 other cities spread across Metropolitan France, plus a site in Tahiti for the surfing competition.
Indigenous athletes from North America included:
• Justina Di Stasio represented Canada in wrestling in the 76 kilograms weight class at the Paris Olympics. Her hometown is Coquitlam, and she's a citizen of the Norway House Cree Nation of Manitoba.
Di Stasio was a two-time medalist at the Pan American Games. After winning 75 silver at Toronto 2015, she captured 76 kilogram (165 pound) gold at Lima 2019. She secured her long-desired Olympic ticket at the Pan American Qualifier in February 2024.
"It is exciting to have the chance to show the world that Indigenous people belong in competitive and successful spaces," Di Stasio said." We have just as much ability to succeed at the highest level as anyone else, and I am very proud of where I come from and where I have been able to go as an Indigenous athlete."
• Apollo Hess, Blood Tribe, represented Canada as a swimmer. Hess was named to the Paris 2024 Olympic team after placing second in the men's 100-meter breaststroke at the 2024 Olympic Swimming Trials.
• Margo Erlam, Métis, qualified to make her Olympic debut at Paris 2024 when she won the women's 3-meter springboard event at the Canadian Diving Trials in May 2024.
• Shalaya Valenzuela, a member of the Tseshaht First Nation on Vancouver Island, represented Canada on the Rugby Sevens team. In high school, Valenzuela was recognized with the Premier's Award for Indigenous Excellence in Sport.
A spokesperson from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee noted that no Olympic athletes have identified themselves as Indigenous. However, the U.S. was represented by three Native Hawaiians who all also competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• Carissa Kainani Moore is a Native Hawaiian and American surfer. She was the first ever winner of the Olympic gold medal in women's shortboard surfing at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Moore is also a five-time world champion, winning in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2021 on the World Surf League Women's World Tour. She was the first surfer in history to win a World Surf League world title and the Olympic title in the same year. Moore was the first surfer to participate in the Olympic Games that is ethnically Hawaiian since the final Olympic appearance of Duke Kahanamoku in 1924.
• Micah Makanamaikalani Christenson is an American and Native Hawaiian professional volleyball player who plays as a setter for the U.S. national team. He was a bronze medalist at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and the 2018 World Championship; the 2014 World League and the 2015 World Cup winner.
• Heimana Reynolds is Native Hawaiian who competed in the men's park event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing 13th.
