New Brunswick’s Fab Five charged by home support at Paralympic Games

Whether it’s a village or even small province there’s a unique connection that athletes from those areas can carry with them as they compete around the world.

Case in point is New Brunswick. With five athletes on the 126 member Canadian Paralympic team, the Maritime province wielded a mighty sword and was a big player for the squad in Paris: Five athletes, two medals and five top-fives.

Para swimmer Danielle Dorris of Moncton was one of two athletes from the province to reach the podium and she did it in spectacular fashion. Dorris broke her world record in the women’s S7 50-metre butterfly to successfully defend her Games title for gold.

It was a third Games for Dorris who made her debut at age 13 at Rio 2016. When she started out, Dorris and her family immersed themselves immediately in the local swimming community helping out wherever they could.

“(My dad) was a big part of my swimming life,’’ she told the Telegraph-Journal. ‘’He was always at every meet. He got into the swimming community helping at meets and being an official, so I think for him it was incredible to see it all come together. My mom was crying and very happy. I think they’re just very proud and it was very special to have them there (in Paris).”

Dorris, born with underdeveloped arms, added she is committed to the 2028 Games and will also return to school to pursue a teaching career.

Kamylle Frenette of Dieppe just missed the podium in Paris with a fourth place in the women’s PS5 Para triathlon. The 28-year-old got married in 2023 and her pharmaceutical career is well underway.

With two Games on her resume, she is going to take time to map her plans for a future in sport. A frontline worker during the COVID crisis, Frenette says she was charged by community support.

‘’Just people sending me messages like the weeks before the Games, even after. Or just comments, whatever. I definitely feel that, and it feels good,” she said.

After two months in Europe for two major competitions, including the Paralympic Games, Para cyclist Alexandre Hayward finally touched home base this past weekend.

The Quispamsis rider won the bronze medal at in the men’s 3000m individual pursuit and posted two top-five finishes in the road event at the Paris Games.

Hayward 27, works as a mechanical engineer with Sivret Engineering. He graduated last year and was pleased with how managed his career and life as a high-performance athlete.

‘’I realized that cycling will always be part of my life,’’ Hayward told Radio-Canada upon his arrival. ‘’It’s what I love to do.’’

After a nine-day break in Portugal, Hayward was back in action  at the Para cycling world road championships. There he collected bronze medals in both the time trial and the road race. Those were his first two career medals at the road worlds in three appearances.

‘’My girlfriend and I went to Portugal between the two competitions, ‘’ he said. ‘’I still rode every day. I knew I’d be ready for the world championships in Zurich.”

There were also two wheelchair basketball players from the New Brunswick, both placing fourth. Colin Higgins of Rothesay on the men’s team and Desiree Isaac-Pictou of Eel River Bar First Nation.

Higgins was once again an offensive force for the Canadians. He was fourth in free throws percentage and in the top-10 for three-pointers and field goal percentages.

Meanwhile community members at Eel River Bar First Nation in New Brunswick gathered to watch Isaac-Pictou’s games.

“The thing I’m most proud of is just to be a role model and someone that the younger generations in my community, and Indigenous women and those living with disabilities in my province and community and surrounding areas can look up to,”  Isaac-Pictou, told the Telegraph-Journal.

Saskatchewan may have its Magnificent Seven but New Brunswick can boast the Fab Five.