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Quispamsis Paralympic medalist adds gold and bronze to his trophy case following triumphant para-cycling worlds
Published Sep 14, 2025 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 3 minute read
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Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis has enjoyed a successful 2025 cycling season, capturing gold and bronze medals at the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Belgium. He also won the overall championship in the World Cup series by virtue of winning a pair of gold medals and a bronze over two World Cup events. Photo by DAVE HOLLAND/CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEEArticle content
Following his bronze medal performance at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, Alexandre Hayward decided it was time for a change.
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Coming off a hectic training and racing regime leading up to the Paris Games, Hayward figured he would train more from home in Quispamsis.
“At the end of the Games last year, I decided to return home to New Brunswick and start being more involved with work, with the idea of being closer to friends and family and getting a more balanced lifestyle,” the 28-year-old said.
“I wasn’t really sure how that was going to affect my cycling, but I’ve already done as many kilometres this year as I did last year, as well as spend more time with people and be more involved with work. So, it was a pleasant surprise that not only was it good enough, but it was better.”
Better indeed.
Alexandre Hayward is seen following his bronze-medal performance in the men’s C3 3000m individual pursuit during the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Photo by CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE /The Canadian Press
Hayward, who was born in Campbellton, wrapped up his 2025 racing season in August by winning a gold medal in the Men’s C3 Individual Time Trial at the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Ronse, Belgium. He also captured a bronze medal in the Men’s C3 Road Race.
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“It was fantastic. I went in there knowing I was in really good shape, knowing that I had a shot at winning in the time trial and doing something interesting in the road race,” said Hayward, who graduated with an engineering degree in 2023 from the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.
“The environment was great. …The cherry on top was that my parents (Nathalie Losier and Andy Hayward) made the trip, so it was awesome.”
Hayward’s results came on the heels of winning the overall 2025 Men’s C3 World Cup crown after capturing a pair of gold medals and a bronze in two events in May.
He plans to continue training and competing, including a return to the World Cup circuit in 2026. His longer-term goal is to represent Canada at a second Paralympics, this one scheduled for Los Angeles in three years.
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“The plan is to keep going to 2028 and do it from here. I just bought a house, and I’m quite happy with my situation, so I plan to do precisely this for the next three years for sure.”
Hayward broke his neck in 2012 at age 16 in a AAA hockey game in Quebec City, suffering an incomplete spinal injury. At the time, he was considered a candidate for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft later that year. While he can use his arms and legs, all four limbs are impaired.
After extensive rehabilitation at the Stan Cassidy Centre in Fredericton, Hayward first turned to wheelchair basketball and played for New Brunswick at the Canada Winter Games before captaining the national junior team.
He para-cycled initially to cross train but increased his participation during the pandemic.
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Quispamsis cyclists Alexandre Hayward crosses the finish line to capture a bronze medal for Canada in the 3,000-metre pursuit at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Photo by CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE
At his first time trial in May 2022, Hayward met the standard required to compete nationally. At his first Nationals in June in Edmonton, he won the time trial and qualified for the World Cup and World Championships.
Hayward’s 2024 season included gold in the C3 time trial and bronze in the road race at a World Cup in Australia. Hayward took silver in the men’s C3 scratch race at the Rio track worlds. He also won two gold, a silver and a bronze medal at the 2023 Parapan American Games.
“The thing about road racing is the more repetitions you get, the better you are. The more situations you find yourself in, the more you can learn and the farther you are ahead,” Hayward said.
“The disadvantage of being in North America is that we have fewer opportunities to race than some of the Europeans do. So really, the only small gap for me has been experience. So the more my experiences grow, I’m getting better and better.”
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