Wheelchair athlete Jessica Frotten has advanced to three final events at the 2015 Parapan Am Games in Toronto, just like her dad knew she would.

“This kid has got it,” Howard Frotten said in a interview Wednesday from his Ibex Valley home shortly after his daughter qualified for the 100-metre final scheduled for this afternoon. “This is what she has raced for, this is what she has trained for.”

The 27-year-old also went on to qualify later yesterday for the 400-metre final scheduled for 4:45 p.m. Friday. She was also scheduled to race in the 800-metre final early this afternoon.

In yesterday’s 100-metre semifinal at Toronto’s York University, Frotten didn’t have an explosive start. Off the line, she trailed slightly, and was with the pack for the first 30 metres or so before she began hitting her pace, eventually pulling away from the rest of the field for a comfortable first-place finish in her heat.

Going by personal best times in the 100-metre, Frotten is the third fastest among the five other women she was to line up against at 3:30 this afternoon Yukon time.

“This is probably the biggest race in her life,” said her dad. “I do think she has a chance of winning a medal.”

Howard said when he spoke with Jessica Wednesday morning prior to the 100- and 400-metre semifinals, she said she was very nervous, but indicated she also felt very ready.

The elder Frotten said he wasn’t nervous, but he was excited.

Jessica has her sights trained on the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he said.

Howard said she’s focused.

Jessica is the gym four hours a day, he said. Two hours is spent on rehabilitation and two hours is spent training for wheelchair racing.

“Look at the arms on that girl,” said an obviously proud dad.

“This could get her to the Olympics,” he said. “She wants to go to Rio. That is her dream and a good showing here could get her to Rio.”

Howard said after the Parapan Am Games, Jessica is off to Qatar for the world championships and then to Australia for a circuit of races.

While Jessica’s personal best for the 100-metre looks favourable, the women she’ll be facing in both the 400 and 800 finals have all posted personal best times quicker than hers.

Frotten lost the use of her legs in a 2009 car accident along the Alaska Highway west of Whitehorse.

She began rehabilitation in Regina at the First Steps Wellness Centre and began training for wheelchair racing in 2013 as a member of the Saskatoon Cyclone wheelchair racing club.

Following her performance in early July at the national championships where she won two silver and three bronze medals, she was named to the 216-member national team.

Fellow Yukoner Stephanie Dixon, the former head coach for the local Glacier Bears swimming program, is in Toronto as assistant chef de mission. Dixon has won numerous Paralympic medals.