Paralympic hopeful in Regina hopes stolen racing wheelchair is found

A Paralympic hopeful in Regina has had a crucial piece of equipment stolen and she's asking the public for help to get it back. 

Jessica Frotten's racing wheelchair was stolen from her garage in downtown Regina. Without it, she can't train and she won't be able to compete.

She does track events and races in the 400-metre, 800-metre, 1,500-metre and 5,000-metre races. Frotten holds a Canadian record in the 400-metre race.

"It was custom built just for me. It doesn't fit anybody else. It's pretty much useless to anyone but me," she said on CBC Radio's The Afternoon Edition. 

Frotten's goal this year was to compete at the Paralympics in Tokyo but COVID-19 dashed those plans. She still hopes to go next year. 

She said she has no idea what anyone could want with the chair. 

"It's not like a bicycle where you can just hop on it and take off. Someone had to really work to get that out of the garage," she said.  

Her racer cost between $8,000 and $10,000, but more than anything, it takes a lot of time to build.

"Because it's a custom build with a company out of Florida, I'm looking at probably two to three months to even get into a new one," she said.  

Regina police are continuing their investigation into the theft.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500 or contact Regina Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.