Heather Kuttai
Heather Kuttai is a Canadian Paralympic shooter who competed in SH3 classification. Born in 1969 or 1970, she grew up in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. At age six she was injured in a car crash that left her paraplegic, and she uses a wheelchair. She studied at the University of Saskatchewan, earning a BA in 1994 and an MSc in 2009. She is married to Darrell Seib and has two children.
Paralympic and shooting career
- Kuttai began paralympic shooting at age 15, helped by her father. She joined Canada’s national wheelchair trapshooting squad in 1987.
- 1988 Seoul Paralympics: won two silver medals—one in the women’s air pistol 2–6 and one in the mixed air pistol team open event.
- She also competed in several rifle events at the 1988 Games but did not medal.
- 1990 World Championships and Games for the Disabled in Assen: finished second in her event and in the air pistol event.
- 1991 World Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games in England took part as well.
- 1992 Barcelona Paralympics: won bronze in the mixed air pistol SH1–3 with a score of 94.1; also competed in other events without medaling.
Post-competition career
- Kuttai retired from competitive shooting in 2005. She became a coach and program developer for wheelchair athletes in shooting and supported wheelchair athletes in other sports.
- She coached Saskatchewan’s wheelchair athletes at the 2003 Canada Games.
- She worked at the University of Saskatchewan to lead disability services for students and helped create Student Central services.
- She published the book Maternity Rolls about her life as a disabled woman and mother.
- In 2010 she completed the Drop Zone charity event to raise funds for children’s charities.
Public service and awards
- From 2014 to 2023, Kuttai served as a commissioner with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission; she resigned after the Saskatchewan government invoked the notwithstanding clause for the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which she described as an attack on gender-diverse children. Interim commissioner Brian Wilcox called her resignation a sign of strong leadership and noted her family’s example.
- She has received several honors:
- 1987 Saskatchewan Junior Citizens of the Year
- 1988 Sask Sport Athlete of the Year
- 1992 Sask Sport Team of the Month
- 2001 Excellence in Service to Students with Disabilities (Canadian Association of Disabilities Providers of Post-Secondary Education)
- 2002 University of Saskatchewan President’s Service Award
- 2009 Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame inductee
- 2021 University of Saskatchewan Lifetime Achievement Award
This page was last edited on 28 January 2026, at 16:33 (CET).