{{Short description|Canadian sprinter (born 1977)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Natasha Bacchus | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1977|12|10}} | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | country = {{CAN}} | sport = Women's Athletics | medaltemplates = {{MedalCompetition|Deaflympics}} {{MedalGold|Sofia 1993 |100m}} {{MedalGold|Copenhagen 1997 |100m}} {{MedalGold|Copenhagen 1997 |200m}} {{MedalSilver|Sofia 1993 |200m}} }}
'''Natasha "Courage" Bacchus''' (born 1977) is a Canadian female Deaf track and field athlete. She has represented Canada at the Deaflympics in 1993, 1997, and in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Natasha Bacchus {{!}} Deaflympics|url=https://www.deaflympics.com/athletes/natasha-bacchus|access-date=2017-11-09|website=deaflympics.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bcdeafsports.bc.ca/meet-our-athletes-an-interview-with-natasha-bacchus/|title="Meet Our Athletes: An Interview with Natasha Bacchus" – BC Deaf Sports|website=bcdeafsports.bc.ca|date=March 2016|language=en-US|access-date=2017-11-09}}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Bacchus was born in Toronto on 10 December 1977, to a Guyanese mother. She also has a younger brother.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stir4all.com/i-have-faced-rejection-discrimination-and-oppression-but-i-still-keep-going|title=I have faced rejection, discrimination and oppression, but I still keep going|website=Stir|access-date=2017-11-09|archive-date=10 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110005024/http://www.stir4all.com/i-have-faced-rejection-discrimination-and-oppression-but-i-still-keep-going|url-status=dead}}</ref> She won 4 medals in her Deaflympic career which spanned from 1993 to 2001, including 3 gold medals. The British Columbia Deaf Sports Federation named her Outstanding Athlete of the Year for the 2014–2015 season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Presenters|url=https://reddressproductions.org/current-projects/inkling/symposium/presenters/|access-date=2020-10-16|website=Red Dress Productions|language=en-CA|archive-date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030143137/https://reddressproductions.org/current-projects/inkling/symposium/presenters/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
After competing at the international level, Bacchus began working as a personal trainer.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Presenters|url=https://reddressproductions.org/current-projects/inkling/symposium/presenters/|access-date=2020-10-16|website=Red Dress Productions|language=en-CA|archive-date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030143137/https://reddressproductions.org/current-projects/inkling/symposium/presenters/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Bacchus has also pursued a career in the performing arts. Her credits as an actor include Destiny, USA (2019), The Black Drum (2019) in the role of Squib, and The Two Natashas (2020).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Natasha Bacchus {{!}} The Toronto Theatre Database|url=https://ttdb.ca/people/natasha-bacchus/|access-date=2020-10-15|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Two Natashas|url=http://www.soundofffestival.com/the-two-natashas|access-date=2020-10-15|website=SOUND OFF|language=en-US|archive-date=7 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107052903/http://www.soundofffestival.com/the-two-natashas|url-status=dead}}</ref> She has also performed in cabaret events including the 2019 ASL Deaf Drag Performance at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto, Ontario.
Bacchus expressed public support for Black Lives Matter at a public rally in June 2020, elaborating on her experiences of racial discrimination as a Black Deaf woman. She supports increased communication access for the Deaf community in interactions with the police.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Deaf athlete Natasha Bacchus speaks out at Black Lives Matter rally|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/video/deaf-athlete-natasha-bacchus-speaks-out-at-black-lives-matter-rally-86453317931|access-date=2020-10-15|publisher=NBC News|language=en}}</ref> In an interview on NBC News, she also stated that she prefers to be called "Courage" rather than Natasha.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacchus, Natasha}} Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:Deaf competitors in the sport of athletics Category:Canadian women sprinters Category:Track and field athletes from Toronto Category:Sportswomen from Ontario Category:Canadian disabled sportspeople Category:Canadian sportspeople of Guyanese descent Category:Canadian deaf people Category:Black Canadian activists Category:21st-century Canadian actresses Category:21st-century Canadian sportswomen Category:Black Canadian actresses Category:Black Canadian women track and field athletes
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