Tara Llanes
Biography
Tara Llanes was playing wheelchair tennis at the time when she met former Team Canada player, Amanda Yan, who encouraged her to try wheelchair basketball. At the same time, she was trying to improve her speed on the tennis court, and former Team Canada and Hall of Famer Richard “Bear” Peter said basketball would help.
She decided to try the sport out in 2016, and in two short years, Llanes was a force to be reckoned with on the hard court. Her aggressive style of play led her to be chosen to represent Canada at the 2018 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Hamburg, Germany. While Llanes enjoyed her time playing wheelchair tennis, she decided to go all in with wheelchair basketball in 2018 as she loved being a part of a team sport.
To Llanes, representing Canada is the pinnacle of playing in a high-level sport. While she was born in the United States, she considers Canada her home and is incredibly proud to represent this country.
Her role models include Marni Abbot-Peter, Richard Peter, and Joe Higgins—all who she has said are “selfless in making a difference in other people’s lives” and have been a tremendous help in her wheelchair basketball career.
A professional mountain biker for 15 years, Llanes travelled the world to compete, earning her a nomination for the 2018 BMX Hall of Fame. She continues to mountain bike and play tennis in her spare time.
Interesting Facts
- She was a professional mountain biker for 15 years travelling the world competing, and won X-Games Gold, 2 Silver, and 1 Bronze
- She was nominated for the 2018 BMX Hall of Fame
- She was a Singles and Doubles National Tennis Champion in 2017
- Owns and operates Tara Llanes Industries, specializing in adaptive equipment in North Vancouver, B.C.
- She was inducted into the BMX Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class of inductees.
Awards / Highlights
- In 2018, Llanes won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the Continental Clash in Sheffield, GB
Major International Competition
| Tournament |  |
 |
 |
Other |
| World Championships: 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5th (’18) 5th (’22) |
Statistics
World Championships
| Year | GP | Min | M/G | Field Goals | 3Pts | Free Throws | Rebounds | AS | TO | ST | BS | PF | FO | PTS | P/G | |||||
| M/A | % | M/A | % | M/A | % | OR | DR | TOT | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 8 | 80:14 | 10:01 | 3/5 | 60 | 0/0 | – | 0/0 | – | 7 | 11 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0.75 |
| TOTAL | 8 | 80:14 | 10:01 | 3/5 | 60 | 0/0 | – | 0/0 | – | 7 | 11 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0.75 |
Legend: GP = Games Played; Min = Minutes; M/G = Minutes per Game; M/A = Made / Attempted; OR = Offensive Rebounds; DR = Defensive Rebounds; TOT = Total; AS = Assists; TO = Turn Overs; ST = Steals; BS = Blocked Shots;PF = Personal Foul; FO = Foul On; PTS = Points; P/G = Points per Game
Competitive Experience
| Level | Team | Location | Year(s) |
| International | Canada (SWNT) | Canada | 2018- |
| Club | BC Breakers | Canada | 2016- |
Career Notes
2023: Silver medal win at the Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile
2023: Fifth at 2022 IWBF World Championships in Dubai
2022: Gold medal win at the Commonwealth Games.
2022: Gold medal win at the IWBF Americas Cup in São Paulo, Brazil
2021: 5th place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics
2019: 1st place at 2019 Lima Parapan American Games (Team Canada)… 1st place at the 2e open feminin handibasket international (Team Canada)…1st place at the Nations Cup (Team Canada)…3rd place at the CWBL Women’s National Championships with the BC Breakers and named all-star in Montreal, Que.
2018: 4th place at the CWBL Women’s National Championships with the BC Breakers in Richmond, BC (domestic)…3rd place at Continental Clash in Sheffield, GB (Team Canada)…2nd place at the Lyon Competition in Lyon, France (Team Canada)…5th place at the 2018 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships (Team Canada)
2017: 4th place at the CWBL Women’s National Championships with the BC Breakers in Burlington, Ont.
2016: 4th place at the CWBL Women’s National Championships with the BC Breakers in Longueuil, Que.