Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Youtube
TikTok
Biography
Impairment information
Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
SB-LL2
Further personal information
Residence
Squamish, BC, CAN
Occupation
Chef
Languages
English
Higher education
Ecology - Trent University: Peterborough, ON, CAN
Sport specific information
When and where did you begin this sport?
He began snowboarding at age nine in Wawa, ON, Canada. He took up Para snowboard at age 26 in Whistler, BC, Canada.
Why this sport?
After retiring from his former career as a forest firefighter, he began exploring different career options. In December 2015 he decided to move to Whistler, BC, Canada, to pursue his passion for snowboarding. "I wasn't very happy with the situation I was in. So being able to move out west and get on a snowboard again and being able to pursue it more as a full-time job added a bit of quality to my life. I think it's helped in my recovery."
Name of coach
Mark Fawcett [national], CAN
International debut
Year
2016
Competing for
Canada
Location
Netherlands
General interest
Hobbies
Hiking, mountain biking, climbing, gardening, fishing. (Athlete, 05 Mar 2018; cog.konaworld.com, 27 Jun 2017)
Memorable sporting achievement
Competing in three banked slalom events with a fractured back in 2016. (Athlete, 05 Mar 2018)
Injuries
In November 2016 he sustained a compression fracture to the T9 vertebra in his spinal cord during his first banked slalom race. He had recovered from the injury by April 2017. (Athlete, 05 Mar 2018)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Take risks to achieve your goals." (Athlete, 05 Mar 2018)
Impairment
His right leg was amputated below the knee in 2013 after an accident at a petrol station. He was reaching into the back of his truck for empty jerry cans when another car struck him from behind, pinning his right leg between the receiver hitch of his truck and the bumper of the striking car. At the time he was working as a forest firefighter. (Athlete, 05 Mar 2018; gofundme.com, 25 Sep 2016)
Other information
FOREST FIREFIGHTER
He was a forest firefighter for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in Canada before the accident that caused the loss of his leg. After rehabilitation, he wanted to return to firefighting and was able to pass the provincial tests to go back to work. However, he found that working with a prosthetic limb on uneven terrain in the forest was difficult and that he could be putting himself and others at risk. "I soon discovered that the job that I had grown to love was no longer a viable career path; the challenges associated with using a prosthetic leg while fighting wildfires were just too great to still enjoy the job. I finished out my season and decided to retire from fighting forest fires." (cbc.ca, 25 Feb 2018; gofundme.com, 25 Sep 2016)
He was a forest firefighter for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in Canada before the accident that caused the loss of his leg. After rehabilitation, he wanted to return to firefighting and was able to pass the provincial tests to go back to work. However, he found that working with a prosthetic limb on uneven terrain in the forest was difficult and that he could be putting himself and others at risk. "I soon discovered that the job that I had grown to love was no longer a viable career path; the challenges associated with using a prosthetic leg while fighting wildfires were just too great to still enjoy the job. I finished out my season and decided to retire from fighting forest fires." (cbc.ca, 25 Feb 2018; gofundme.com, 25 Sep 2016)
Results
| Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Snowboard Cross SB-LL2 | Final | 2018-03-12 | 14 | |
| Men's Banked Slalom SB-LL2 | Final | 2018-03-16 | 12 |
