Rene ROBERTS NIJINSKY

Rene Roberts Nijinsky is a survivor, an athlete, an educator, and a truth-teller. Born with cerebral palsy and raised in a large Catholic family..

Rene is a 16-time sprint-distance triathlete, a gold-medal-winning adaptive paddler, and the founder of Team Synergy, an inclusive dragon boat team that empowers people of all abilities. She also paddles both one-person and six-man outrigger canoes—drawn to the water because it is one of the only places she has ever felt truly whole and strong.

For over two decades, Rene taught students ranging from preschoolers to college freshmen, often while navigating her own disability in a world set up for the able.

Her story is not one of simple triumph, but of hard-won self-worth—earned through movement, vulnerability, and an unshakable belief in being all she can be!

Now in her 60s, Rene speaks and writes and shares in order to help others rise. Her voice is grounded in spiritual strength and faith and she brings fierce compassion, honesty, and humor to the conversation around all aspects of life!