The Rhodes Scholarship is among the world’s most prestigious academic awards. It will offer Trinity and the other recipients fully funded postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, starting in October 2026. More than a thousand Canadians have received the scholarship since 1904.
The announcement was made on November 17, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for a student whose academic work, leadership and athletic career have already set her apart.
A scholar shaped by lived experience
Trinity plans to pursue a doctor of philosophy in primary health care at Oxford, focusing on quality-of-life outcomes for home parenteral (or intravenous) nutrition patients. Studying abroad has long been a personal goal for her, and she sees the Rhodes Scholarship as the opportunity that finally makes it possible. “Academically, it will broaden my perspective and allow me to study in a different health system,” she says. “I hope to bring that experience back to Canada to improve the system here.”
Her academic direction is closely tied to her own lived experience. “As a home parenteral nutrition patient, learning about nutrition from the clinical side gave me a unique perspective,” she explains. Throughout her studies, she has also been involved in research centred on patient engagement, which continues to shape the kind of work she hopes to pursue.
“I am interested in engaging people with lived experience in all stages of the research process so that the outcomes of research are applicable to the populations that it aims to serve.”
Trinity Lowthian
— 2026 Rhodes Scholar
Leadership through para-sport
Outside the classroom, Trinity represented Canada in wheelchair fencing at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. High-performance sport has shaped her approach to leadership, resilience and academic life. “It helped me understand my values and what is important to me,” she says. Mental performance training also strengthened her ability to handle pressure, a skill she used during both Paralympic competition and the Rhodes interview.
Alongside competing, Trinity has played a key role in expanding opportunities for para-athletes in Ontario. With limited competitive pathways available when she began fencing, she applied for a grant to co-found the Ontario provincial para-fencing circuit. The circuit now provides regular competitive opportunities for para-fencers across the province, including several new athletes in Ottawa.
Looking ahead
Trinity’s leadership and community impact have already earned her national recognition, including the King Charles III Coronation Medal and the Ontario Premier’s Medal of Excellence. She hopes to continue combining research, patient advocacy and para-sport throughout her career. “This scholarship opens so many pathways for me,” she says. “I am excited for what comes next.”
In 2026, she’ll join more than a hundred incoming scholars at Oxford, beginning a new chapter within a global network committed to shaping a more equitable future.