Natasha Bacchus

Natasha "Courage" Bacchus (born 1977) is a Canadian female Deaf track and field athlete. She has represented Canada at the Deaflympics in 1993, 1997, and in 2001.[1][2]

Natasha Bacchus
Personal information
Born (1977-12-10) 10 December 1977
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sport
Country Canada
SportWomen's Athletics
Medal record
Deaflympics
Gold medal – first placeSofia 1993 100m
Gold medal – first placeCopenhagen 1997 100m
Gold medal – first placeCopenhagen 1997 200m
Silver medal – second placeSofia 1993 200m

Bacchus was born in Toronto on 10 December 1977, to a Guyanese mother. She also has a younger brother.[3] She won 4 medals in her Deaflympic career which spanned from 1993 to 2001, including 3 gold medals. The British Columbia Deaf Sports Federation named her Outstanding Athlete of the Year for the 2014–2015 season.[4]

After competing at the international level, Bacchus began working as a personal trainer.[5]

Bacchus has also pursued a career in the performing arts. Her credits as an actor include Destiny, USA (2019), The Black Drum (2019) in the role of Squib, and The Two Natashas (2020).[6][7] She has also performed in cabaret events including the 2019 ASL Deaf Drag Performance at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto, Ontario.

Bacchus expressed public support for Black Lives Matter at a public rally in June 2020, elaborating on her experiences of racial discrimination as a Black Deaf woman. She supports increased communication access for the Deaf community in interactions with the police.[8] In an interview on NBC News, she also stated that she prefers to be called "Courage" rather than Natasha.

References

  1. "Natasha Bacchus | Deaflympics". www.deaflympics.com. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  2. ""Meet Our Athletes: An Interview with Natasha Bacchus" - BC Deaf Sports". bcdeafsports.bc.ca. March 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  3. "I have faced rejection, discrimination and oppression, but I still keep going". Stir. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  4. "Presenters". Red Dress Productions. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  5. "Presenters". Red Dress Productions. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  6. "Natasha Bacchus | The Toronto Theatre Database". Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  7. "The Two Natashas". SOUND OFF. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  8. "Deaf athlete Natasha Bacchus speaks out at Black Lives Matter rally". NBC News. Retrieved 15 October 2020.


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