# Connor Taras

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Connor_Taras
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Connor_Taras.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connor_Taras
> Source revision: 1313617700
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{short description|Canadian kayaker}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| image =
| imagesize = 
| caption = 
| nationality = 
| sport = [Canoeing](/source/Canoeing)
|disability = 
|disability_class = 
| event =
| club = 
| coach = 
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1989}}
| birth_place = [Waverley, Nova Scotia](/source/Waverley%2C_Nova_Scotia), Canada
| death_date =
| death_place =
| retired= 
| height = 
| weight = 
| pb = 
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{flagu|Canada}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[Pan American Games](/source/Pan_American_Games)}}
{{MedalSilver|[2011 Guadalajara](/source/2011_Pan_American_Games)|[K4 1000m](/source/Canoeing_at_the_2011_Pan_American_Games)}}
}}

'''Connor Taras''' is a [Canadian](/source/Canadians) sport kayaker from [Waverley](/source/Waverley%2C_Nova_Scotia), [Nova Scotia](/source/Nova_Scotia),<ref name=out>"For kayaker Connor Taras, coming out was ultimate victory". ''[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)'', July 22, 2014.</ref> who was a silver medalist with the Canadian [Men's K-4 1000 metres](/source/Canoeing_at_the_2011_Pan_American_Games_%E2%80%93_Men's_K-4_1000_metres) team at the [2011 Pan American Games](/source/2011_Pan_American_Games).<ref>"Canada takes medals in bowling, kayak, karate, judo and fencing; count at 97". ''[National Post](/source/National_Post)'', October 28, 2011.</ref> He also competed in the [Men's K-1 200 metres](/source/Canoeing_at_the_2011_Pan_American_Games_%E2%80%93_Men's_K-1_200_metres), finishing sixth. In the [2025 Ontario general election](/source/2025_Ontario_general_election), Taras was the [Ontario Liberal Party](/source/Ontario_Liberal_Party) candidate for the riding of [Toronto—Danforth (provincial electoral district)](/source/Toronto%E2%80%94Danforth_(provincial_electoral_district)).

== Education and career ==
Taras was educated at [Mount Saint Vincent University](/source/Mount_Saint_Vincent_University), studying marketing.<ref name="out" />

He tried out for the Canadian kayaking team for the [2012 Summer Olympics](/source/2012_Summer_Olympics), but missed qualifying by 0.6 seconds.<ref name="out" /> After struggling with his [sexual orientation](/source/sexual_orientation) for a number of years, Taras began coming out as [gay](/source/gay) to friends and family in 2013.<ref name="out" /> According to Taras, the freedom to be open about his sexual orientation made him a better athlete; in the same year, he successfully shaved a full 12 seconds off his personal best time.<ref name="out" />

In 2015, Taras announced his retirement from competitive sport. He served as coordinator of ceremonies for the [2015 Pan American Games](/source/2015_Pan_American_Games) in [Toronto](/source/Toronto), [Ontario](/source/Ontario),<ref>[http://www.dailyxtra.com/toronto/news-and-ideas/news/much-work-needed-ensure-lgbt-athletes-can-121274 "Much work needed to ensure LGBT athletes can be themselves"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810200704/http://www.dailyxtra.com/toronto/news-and-ideas/news/much-work-needed-ensure-lgbt-athletes-can-121274 |date=2015-08-10 }}. ''[Daily Xtra](/source/Daily_Xtra)'', August 7, 2015.</ref> and is an ambassador for the [Canadian Olympic Committee](/source/Canadian_Olympic_Committee)'s OneTeam initiative to combat [homophobia](/source/homophobia) in sports.<ref>[http://www.theoaklandpress.com/sports/20150623/canadian-athletes-helping-others-step-out-of-shadows "Canadian athletes helping others step out of shadows"]. ''[Oakland Press](/source/Oakland_Press)'', June 23, 2015.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taras, Connor}}
Category:Canadian male canoeists
Category:Canadian gay sportsmen
Category:Canoeists at the 2011 Pan American Games
Category:People from the Halifax Regional Municipality
Category:Living people
Category:Mount Saint Vincent University alumni
Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada in canoeing
Category:1989 births
Category:LGBTQ canoeists
Category:Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games
Category:21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people
Category:Sportspeople from Nova Scotia

{{Canada-sport-bio-stub}}

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Connor Taras](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connor_Taras) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connor_Taras?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.