Canadian women’s beach volleyball star Sarah Pavan of Kitchener, Ontario has retired at the age of 38 according to CBC Sports on Monday. Pavan is best known for winning the gold medal with Canadian Olympic silver medalist Melissa Humana-Paredes of Toronto, Ontario at the 2019 World Beach Volleyball Championships in Hamburg, Germany.
The gold medal was historic because it was one of only two medals Canada has ever won at the World Beach Volleyball Championships, and the only time ever Canada has won the gold medal. The other medal came at the 2022 World Beach Volleyball Championships in Rome, Italy, as Sophie Bukovec and Canadian Olympic silver medalist Brandie Wilkerson of Toronto won the silver medal. Interestingly, Wilkerson and Humana-Paredes teamed up to win the silver medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Pavan also won six gold medals for Canada on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, and two gold medals for Canada at the Commonwealth Games. She won in 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia and in 2022 in Birmingham, England.
In addition to Humana-Paredes, Pavan played alongside Canadians Heather Bansley of London, Ontario, Bukovec, and Molly McBain of Toronto. Prior to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, I had the privilege of interviewing Pavan and Humana-Paredes. For the interview, please click here.