Bleacher Report - Articles by Canadian Paralympic Blog

Nova Scotia siblings riding waves to Paralympic Games

Canadian Paralympic Blog — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:49:11 -0400

By Rachal Fleury

When Devin Gotell saw how much traveling his sister, Chelsey, got to do as a competitive swimmer, he decided he wanted to do the same.

Now, for the past couple of years, 17-year-old Devin and 22-year-old Chelsey have traveled the world together as members of Canada’s national swim team.

“I think it is pretty exciting,” said Chelsey, who along with Devin competes in the S13 visual impairment category. “I’ve been away from home for a few years and haven’t spent much time with him so it is great to have him on the team, not only as my brother but as my friend.”

The siblings’ from Antigonish, N.S. are currently gearing up for their biggest trip to date. They will soon head to China where they will compete at the 2008 Paralympic Summer Games in Beijing, from Sept. 6-17. The Games will be Chelsey’s third (she competed in Sydney and Athens) and Devin’s first.

“For sure it is cool to be going with Chelsey,” said Devin. “I think having her there as an experienced veteran, she’ll be great to help guide me through the Games.”

Chelsey and Devin will be joined in Beijing by their parents, Marlie and Glenn, who also accompanied Chelsey to Sydney and Athens.

“They are quite excited, but are getting quite used to (going to the Games) as well,” said Devin. “It is going to be nerve wracking for them to watch both of us.”

Chelsey’s Path

Chelsey joined the Antigonish Aquanauts Swim Club at age eight after being encouraged by a friend to try out.

She began competing nationally three years later, and qualified for her first Paralympic Games at age 14. At the Sydney Games in 2000, Chelsey won a silver medal and three bronze. In 2004 in Athens, she won a gold medal and three bronze.

Other career highlights include, winning three bronze medals at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa, and two gold, two silver and one bronze at the 2007 Parapanamerican Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

Chelsey is the current world record holder in the 50m and 200m backstroke.

Devin’s Story

Devin joined the Antigonish Aquanauts at age 13 and quickly made an impact, winning gold in the 100m IM at the 2005 Canada Summer Games in Regina, SK.

He has since competed at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships and brought home three silver medals and three bronze from the 2007 Parapanamerican Games.

After Beijing, Devin, who recently finished high school, will return to Nova Scotia where he plans to attend St. Francis Xavier University to pursuit a career in social work. He will continue to concentrate on his swimming with his sights set on the 2012 Paralympic Summer Games in London, England.

“I’ll be aiming for that as my peak performance,” he said.

For Chelsey, who will be returning to McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, for the fourth year of her psychology degree, London is an unknown.

“Right now I’m keeping my options open and I am going to take it one day at a time,” she said. “My next step is to finish my degree and eventually I want to go into massage therapy and do sport massage. I do know I’ll keep swimming internationally after Beijing... I have no set retiring date.”

Chelsey has some lofty goals left to accomplish before she does retire, including qualifying for nationals in able-bodied swimming, as well as breaking the world record in the 200m IM and the 100m backstroke.

In Beijing, Chelsey will compete in the 50m, 100m, 400m freestyle; 100m backstroke; 100m butterfly; 200m IM. Devin is competing in the 100m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 200m IM and 400m freestyle.

Beijing Paralympics: Canada Looks To Remain a World Leader

Canadian Paralympic Blog — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:50:38 -0400

By Rachal Fleury and Mary Beth Walker

Have you ever seen Patrick Anderson drop a three-pointer at the buzzer or Chantal Petitclerc race to a record in the 800 meters?

If not, you’re missing out on some great sport. Patrick Anderson is a member of Canada’s double-gold medal winning Paralympic team and is considered the world’s best wheelchair basketball player, while Petitclerc is a legend in wheelchair racing.

The upcoming Beijing Paralympic Games, running from Sept. 6-17, is the premiere sporting event for high performance athletes with a physical disability. About 140 Canadian athletes, supported by about 120 staff, will venture to Beijing to compete.

The Paralympic Games now occur in conjunction with the Olympics every two years in the same city and at the same venues. The Paralympic Games morphed out of the Stoke Mandeville Games, the first organized sport competition for athletes with a physical disability. Dr. Lugwig Guttmann staged the first Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948 as part of his efforts to use sport in the rehabilitation of soldiers who were injured in World War II.

Paralympic athletes are just like Olympians, except that they have a physical disability, such as a visual impairment, an amputation, a spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy or other. They compete in classes with other elite athletes with similar physical disabilities.

“Paralympic sport is about sheer athletic determination and skill,” said Debbie Low, the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s 2008 Beijing Games Chef de Mission. “We’re looking forward to being inspired by Canada’s elite-level athletes with a physical disability as they compete at the upcoming Paralympic Games.”

There are 20 summer sports, including rowing which makes its debut in Beijing. Most of the sports are modified versions of able-bodied sports at the Olympic Games, but there are four unique Paralympic summer sports: boccia, goalball, powerlifting and wheelchair rugby (formerly called murderball).

In Beijing, Canadian athletes will compete in archery, athletics, wheelchair basketball (men’s and women’s), boccia, cycling, equestrian, wheelchair fencing, goalball (men’s and women’s), judo, powerlifting, rowing, wheelchair rugby, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis and wheelchair tennis. Canada will not take part in sitting volleyball, five-a-side football, and seven-a-side football.

“The Paralympics are the biggest opportunity we (athletes) have and I want to go in there and represent (his guide runner) Greg (Dailey), my family and myself the way I know I can,” said athletics Paralympian, Jason Dunkerley. “...(But) it comes down to one race and no matter how well prepared you are, if you don't show up at your best on that day, it haunts you and lives with you and you have to wait another four years.”

Canada finished third in the medal standings at both the Sydney 2000 (with 96 medals, including 38 gold) and Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (with 72 medals including 28 gold). Canada is aiming for a top-five finish in Beijing.

“Our past success is a testament of Canada's acceptance of disabilities and its willingness to integrate people into sport,” said Gaetan Tardif, the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Assistant Chef de Mission. “I’m looking forward to the excitement of watching the athletes do well.”

Paralympic hopefuls to look out for:

* Benoit Huot is the swimmer to beat in the S10 category in Beijing. He currently holds three world records in the 200m IM, 800m freestyle and 200m backstroke and has eight Paralympic gold medals and four Paralympic silvers to his credit.

* This will be Valerie Grand’Maison’s first time competing at the Paralympic Games since joining Canada’s national swim team in 2005. She holds five long course world records (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m freestyle and 400m IM) and seven short course world records (50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m freestyle, 200m butterfly and 400m IM). At the Rio ParaPanAmerican Games in 2007, Grand’Maison won five gold and one silver.

* Jason Dunkerley is the reigning IPC world and ParaPanAmerican champion in the T11 800m and 1500m. He currently holds the Canadian and ParaPanAmerican records in both events and he’s aiming for a world record in the 1500m in Beijing(the 800m race isn’t run in the Paralympics). Dunkerley won silver in the 1500m at both the Sydney and Athens Games.

* Canadian wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc has competed in the last four Summer Paralympic Games and has already brought home a total of 16 Paralympic medals (ten gold, four silver and two bronze) and one Olympic gold medal for the 800m demonstration at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. In 2004, she was honoured with a Laureus world sports award for top sportsperson with a disability, and named Canadian of the Year by Macleans magazine.

* Both the Canadian women’s goalball team and the men’s wheelchair basketball team are vying for their third straight Paralympic gold medal in Beijing.

Now that the countdown has begun, check-in for weekly updates following Team Canada on its journey to Beijing.