It’s lift-off for Canadian rookie Paralympians at their first Games

OTTAWA – For Canada’s rookie Paralympians, the just-completed Winter Games were less about results and more about experience, a crucial first step toward future success on the world stage.

‘’I was definitely in a surreal moment,’’ Para snowboarder Chase Nicklin told the Alberni Valley News about his first Games experience. ‘’It was like I thought about this so much and was working towards it so much where it was just true.

‘’I was in a little disbelief.’’

It was not a surprising statement for Nicklin. His journey to the Paralympic Games, like those of some of his Canadian teammates, is one of surmounting challenges after an unexpected and devastating event.

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In 2021, at age 16, Nicklin experienced a life-changing day. He was riding his dirt bike when he lost control and collided head-on with a truck.

Nicklin was airlifted to the hospital and was in a coma for 10 days. He broke several bones in the accident and ended up with an infection in his left leg, leading to an above-knee amputation a month later.

After a lengthy rehabilitation, he returned to a familiar sport, and by the 2023-24 season, he made his international debut in Para snowboard, eventually earning a spot on his first Paralympic team.

It was mission accomplished for Nicklin in Italy and like many first-time athletes, the Port Alberni, B.C. resident is now focused on what comes next.

‘’Looking four years down the road, it would be going back to the Games and just being a lot more prepared on the experienced side of racing,’’ he said.

Like Nicklin, other rookie Paralympians were soaking in the experience while looking ahead.

Visually impaired Para nordic skier Maddie Mullin of Fergus, Ont. is another athlete on the rise who not only gained more confidence in Italy but more ambition for her sport.

‘’It was a great experience with all the supporters and the athletes,’’ Mullin told the Wellington Advertiser. ‘’My main goal was to get there and experience the Games. In four years, I will focus more on the results.’’

Mullin’s teammate on the Para nordic squad Emma Archibald said she couldn’t have achieved her goals at the Games without a large support system. She leaned heavily on friends and classmates in her fifth-year nursing studies at the University of Ottawa and teammates on the school’s cross country skiing team to manage the demands of school and sport.

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‘’The fact knowing I’m not alone helps enormously, especially during the busier and more stressful periods,’’ the outgoing Archibald told UOttawa’s French media outlet La Rotonde.

‘’I felt incredibly proud and emotional to see my teammates compete at the Games. I channeled those emotions toward myself rather than letting stress and nervousness take over. This moment was an opportunity to fully focus and enjoy the experience while giving my very best.’’

Mathieu Lelièvre was a rookie on the Canadian Para ice hockey team that took silver in Milan.

‘’Just to be there and represent Canada was exceptional,’’ the 20-year-old Lelièvre told Radio-Canada. ‘’It was incredible to have an opportunity to share my passion with my friends and family at the Games.

‘’When I put that uniform on for the first time at the Games, I thought back to my seven-year-old self who dreamed of such a moment. It’s something only a few people can experience.’’

One of the 19 new Paralympians on the squad won a gold medal in his debut. Gil Dash, 57, was a member of Canada’s wheelchair curling team that went undefeated throughout the tournament.

While he discussed the intensity of the tournament, Dash made sure to stop and absorb what was happening on and off the ice.

‘’I wanted to take it all in,’’ he told Moose Jaw Today during a reception at the Saskatchewan Legislature in Regina for the province’s Paralympians and Olympians. ‘’I was actually told prior, ‘take it in, take it in’ from people with experience.’’

‘’It was a special feeling.’’