Paralympian from Mississauga becomes a comedian

A Mississauga Paralympian turns her talent to the stage as a stand-up comedian this summer.

Erica Scarff, 28, is a canoe and kayak Paralympian who has competed at nine world championships and won her first medal in 2023. At 20 years old, in 2016, she competed at the Rio Games, earning a sixth-place finish in the KL3 kayak event.

In 2018, Scarff suffered multiple injuries after she was hit by a car near Square One in Mississauga. She missed the Tokyo games. But she returned to compete in para canoe in the 2024 Paris Games, where she finished fifth.

Scarff grew up in Mississauga and graduated from St. Marcellinus Secondary School. At the age 12, while competing as a national gymnast, Scarff was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, the same rare type of bone cancer that Canadian icon Terry Fox battled. Her treatment included chemotherapy and a leg amputation.

She thought her competitive sports days were over until she discovered kayaking and canoeing.

“My life is completely different than any childhood dreams I may have had,” she wrote on Instagram. “But, I have found strength and meaning living through my struggles.”

While she plans to continue her athletic career, Scarff is trying something new—stand-up comedy.

“After Paris, I had a bit more free time, so I just started to look into things that interested me,” Scarff told INsauga.com.

She enjoys comedy and went to the Laugh Without Limits show last year. Laugh Without Limits is a Toronto show performed for people with disabilities, by people with disabilities.

Scarff became friends with Disability Privilege show producers, Blair Williams and Jared Nathan, who inspired her to try comedy. Disability Privilege Comedy production company is dedicated to those whose lives are influenced by a disability.

“They encouraged me to try it out, and they said that they would put me on the show if I was interested,” she said.

In an email, Williams and Nathan said Scarff “is a true reflection of what Disability Privilege is all about—amplifying talent and breaking barriers. We’re excited to see where her journey takes her.”

To get ready for her guest appearance on the Sunday, July 27 show, Scarff said she has been practicing at open mic shows in the city. Her comedy includes her experiences as a person with a disability.

“I am talking about disability in a way that makes it more approachable and normalizes it,” she said. “It can be an uncomfortable topic, and if we’re able to talk about it respectfully, but add humour, it kind of makes it a little bit more approachable for people.”

At times, strangers have approached her on the street and asked odd questions. She turns those encounters into comedic stories.

People seem to enjoy the comedy.

“The first time I tried it, I got a really good response, which made me more confident to get up and try it again.”

 

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A post shared by Erica Scarff, PLY (@ericanoe24)

She does feel nervous on stage but at the same time has found a welcoming community.

“Going to these different open mics, I have met a lot of really nice and talented people,” she said. “So taking advice from them, and it just tends to be pretty supportive all around.”

Scarff continues to train in her sport and hopes to compete in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

Having studied kinesiology at Brock University in St. Catharines, Scarff wants to work in the occupational therapy field in the future.

“I would like to find a way to give back and support the disabled community,” she said.

Scarff will be the special guest on the Laugh Without Limits show at Comedy Bar Danforth on Sunday, July 27. The show starts at 5 p.m.

Featured comedians for the show include Todd Blenkhorn, a seasoned blind comic, and one of the fastest-rising talents in the Canadian comedy scene, Robert Khakham.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

Purchase tickets and find out more here.

Lead photo: Canadian Paralympic Committee