The clash of metal could be heard through the Carleton University Fieldhouse on Oct. 9, as Carleton hosted its first ever Parasport Festival on campus.
The festival was brought to Carleton by the university’s Research, Education, Accessibility and Design (READ) Initiative and the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
The festival displayed a number of different adapted sports, from the hard-hitting wheelchair rugby to the tactical game of Paralympic boccia to Carleton, University of Ottawa, and Algonquin College students and members of the community.
The festival was the first event of Carleton’s new READ Initiative. The goal of the festival was to get disabled Carleton students active.
“We organized this event because we wanted to give all of the students at Carleton who have disabilities the chance to experience Paralympic sport,” program director Dean Mellaway said. “But we also wanted to let our whole community know about Paralympic sport.”
Mellaway said that his vision is for students with disabilities to be physically active and aware of the opportunities for exercise that are out there.
“Some [students] are coming [to Carleton] without having been exposed to Paralympic sport, others are coming who have been exposed and are interested in training. We want to make sure they know that the athletics department here is supportive and will help connect them with clubs.”
The importance of these students with disabilities becoming active and involved in adaptive recreation was not lost on the presenters at the festival, including Martin Larocque, a two-time member of the Canadian Paralympic team. Larocque is still active in wheelchair rugby as a player and coach of the Ottawa Stingers wheelchair rugby club. He spoke of the impact that the involvement in sport can have.
“When I first started, I was injured in 1987, I was exposed to the other [quadriplegics] that did track and it brought my level of independence from low to high [. . .] with wheelchair rugby the opportunity to represent Canada was an honor, and playing at the high level is something I will always cherish.”
“On the team we try and help each other out, and bring the new guys and help them learn from our experiences. I think the influences we have on each other not just in rugby but everyday life is important. “
On Oct. 9, in conjunction with the Parasport Festival, the READ Initiative held an exhibition wheelchair basketball game with members of the Canadian Paralympic team. The proceeds from ticket sales benefited CanUgan, an initiative that provides hand cycles to those with disabilities in Uganda.
