The 2023/24 season culminated in a grand finale as twenty teams converged at the historic Mattamy Athletic Centre in downtown Toronto for the ParaTough Cup presented by Canadian Tire Corporation. This year’s Toronto event marked the largest gathering to date, with 138 participants from Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) partners, Paralympic Foundation of Canada (PFC) donors and special guests partaking in a day of spirited competition, camaraderie, and fundraising, with the event raising over $140,000 for the IGNITE campaign that supports Para sport development in Canada.
The ParaTough Cup isn’t just about the thrill of victory, it is an opportunity for participants to immerse themselves in the world of Para sport. With a round-robin tournament featuring a range of disciplines including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and Para ice hockey, teams not only competed for the title of ParaTough Cup champions but also gained firsthand insight into the physical and mental demands of Para sport. In addition, the event provides a platform for Canadian Paralympians to share their stories and insights, inspiring participants to become passionate advocates for the Paralympic Movement in Canada.
Ashley Curran, Associate Vice President of Community Impact and Sport Partnerships at Canadian Tire Corporation, shared how the ParaTough Cup events continue to be a key pillar in the partnership with the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and provide a great day of fun and learnings for the Canadian Tire team.
“The ParaTough Cup represents a unique opportunity for sponsors and partners to experience the incredible skill, passion and dedication it takes to become a Canadian Paralympian,” said Curran. “As a proud supporter of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, the ParaTough Cup allows Canadian Tire Corporation to put our partnership into action and reignites our commitment as advocates for Paralympians and Para Sport year-round.”
The Toronto event witnessed an innovative addition to the ParaTough Cup experience with the introduction of a visually impaired immersive experience. This initiative aimed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by visually impaired Paralympians, further enhancing empathy and appreciation for Para sport.
“Today was a lot of fun, it's really cool to see how many people are willing to come out and support the Paralympic Foundation of Canada and try Para sport,” Canadian Men’s sitting volleyball player Nasif Chowdhury said. “I love teaching people about Sitting Volleyball, it is one of the toughest Para sports. So, I think people understand how tough it is and they understand what we do is more difficult than they might have thought.”
Four-time Paralympian Bo Hedges believes the ParaTough Cups are a great way of raising awareness about Para sports and the need for teamwork in a fun and inviting environment.
“It’s great to have a record number of participants and just seeing the excitement and the fun that they’re having trying the sports, like wheelchair basketball, seeing them move around and laughing and having fun while they’re learning,” the wheelchair basketball gold medallist shared. “I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in a few ParaTough Cup events, so it has been great getting to see how the event has grown.”
The ParaTough Cup is the primary fundraiser for the PFC, the philanthropic arm of the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
Presenting partner of the Toronto stop, Canadian Tire was represented by three teams, joined by teams from Bell, CBC, Pfizer Canada, Petro-Canada, FASKEN, EllisDon, Sobeys Canada, General Mills, Legal Lab, the Malaviya Foundation, Ottobock, and Toyota.
With the team from Edison Engineers emerging victorious through a combination of performance on the day and the team’s fundraising efforts leading up to the event. Edison Engineers team captain Marielle Bégin shared her team’s excitement to have participated in the event and the motivation behind their outstanding fundraising efforts.
“It was such a blast and such an exciting event and we are so happy to have participated. Our company not only wanted to donate, but we also did a call out to the contractors who help us every day about this event and how it can support Canadian Paralympians and Para sport, and we had great support from everyone, and we’re just so happy to have helped,” Bégin said. “I think Wheelchair Basketball was our highlight, we all felt like kids again, and it was our first ParaTough Cup event and we already can’t wait for next year.”
Thursday's event was emceed by Paralympic Games Para alpine skiing gold medallist Josh Dueck and CBC sports reporter Devin Heroux. The duo also hosted a number of fireside chats during the day, allowing participants to hear from Para athletes about their own journeys in Para sport.
The Para athletes included Andrea Nelson (Para canoe, Para alpine), Todd Nicholson and Tyler McGregor (Para ice hockey), Nasif Chowdhury, Darek Symonowicz, Jesse Buckingham (sitting volleyball), Mac Marcoux (Para alpine), Bo Hedges (wheelchair basketball), Erin Latimer (Para alpine skiing) and Andrew Haley (Para swimming).
The ParaTough Cup events will return for the 2024-25 season. For more information, please visit ParaToughCup.ca
