Para sport notebook: Canadian power trio committed to 2030 Paralympic Winter Games

OTTAWA – Three of Canada’s greatest winter Paralympians – Tyler McGregor, Mark Ideson and Natalie Wilkie said they plan to be at the 2030 Paralympic Winter Games scheduled for the French Alps.

Ideson, who skipped Canada to an historic gold medal in wheelchair curling at Milano Cortina 2026 won’t let some recent coaching success deviate his goal to return for a fifth Games in 2030.

‘’My intention is to do another cycle,’’ Ideson, 50, told CPC at the Team Canada Celebration event in Ottawa last week. ‘’The quality of curlers in Canada and around the world is constantly improving so I’m going to have work harder than ever to be able to represent Canada.’’

At 25, Wilkie’s won everything in Para nordic skiing including four medals (two gold, silver and bronze) at the 2026 Games to bring her career total to a remarkable 11 medals over three Paralympics.

‘’There’s a lot more that I want to do in the sport,’’ said Wilkie, from Salmon Arm, B.C. ‘’We’ve got a lot of talented young athletes coming up the system and excited to see what the next quad is going to look like.’’à

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McGregor, a four-time Paralympian and the current captain of Canada’s Para ice hockey team, has earned three silver medals and a bronze.

‘’I can’t wait for next season to start and start the journey for 2030,’’ said McGregor, 32, from Forest, Ont.

Stefanie Reid wins 2026 Canadian Screen Awards Best Sports Host award

Paralympian Stefanie Reid won the 2026 Canadian Screen Award last week for Best Sports Host for CBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paralympic Games. Born in New Zealand, Reid moved to Canada at age four and grew up here representing Canada at the 2008 Paralympic Games.

‘’My Mom was convinced I was going to win this award,’’ said Reid, in her acceptance speech. ‘’Sport is one of the best things about humanity. It is just the discipline, the character, the joy and the excitement.

‘’There’s nothing like it.’’

Married to Canadian wheelchair racer Brent Lakatos, the 41-year-old long jumper later represented the UK at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics.

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Mélanie Labelle receives Women of Influence in Sport Award

Wheelchair rugby athlete and advocate Mélanie Labelle has been named the first-ever recipient of the Prix Parasports Québec at the Gala Femmes d’influence en sport (Women of Influence in Sport) in Quebec.

Labelle discovered wheelchair rugby during rehabilitation in 2016 and quickly emerged as one of Canada’s top athletes in the sport. Her dedication and work ethic earned her a spot on the national team in 2019, one of the few women ever to make the squad.

Beyond competition, Labelle has helped advance opportunities for women in wheelchair rugby as volunteer lead of the national women’s program and has been a strong voice for Paralympic athletes.

The Prix Parasports Québec award recognizes individuals who are making a lasting impact in Para sport through leadership, inclusion, and accessibility. Labelle’s contributions continue to inspire athletes and strengthen the parasport community across Canada.

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Canada’s women’s sitting volleyball team building team chemistry

After its historic bronze medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games, Canada’s women’s sitting volleyball team is now setting its sights on LA 2028.  Player Allison Lang is pleased with the start to this season.

‘’There was so much trust on that court,’’ Lang told Para Sport Nation, after Canada won the silver medal last month at the USAV Cup losing a 3-2 nail biter to the U.S. in the final. ‘’I felt so connected to everyone beside me on the court that I didn’t need to say anything. I knew what was going to happen.

‘’That is so powerful as a team.’’

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Lang is also busy off court. She worked on CBC’s coverage of the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games and will star in a new TV show How We Do It.

It is a groundbreaking Canadian preschool series airing on Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), AMI+, and Citytv Saskatchewan. The show uses a mix of live-action segments, puppetry, and animation to celebrate kids of all abilities.

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Wheelchair racer Anthony Bouchard on fire at early season Grand Prix

World champion Anthony Bouchard of Quebec City clocked a Canadian record in his victory in the men’s T52 100-metre to highlight a strong Canadian showing at the Nottwil Grand Prix Para athletics competition.

Despite battling a wrist injury, his time was 16.41 seconds which eclipsed the 16.56 he posted the previous week at the Swiss Championships in Arbon.

“The race really went well, and when I heard the time, I couldn’t wait to confirm that I had heard correctly,” Bouchard told Sportcom. ‘’It was a perfectly executed race. It’s the best I could do today.’’

According to results on the official website Bouchard also won the gold in the 200 and silver in the 400.

Other Canadian winners included Katie Pegg of Markham, Ont., in the women’s F45-64 shot put; Noah Vucsics of Calgary in the men’s T20 long jump; Zachary Gingras of Markham in the T36-38 400 metres; Paralympic champion Austin Smeenk of Oakville, Ont., in the T34 1500 metres; and Brendan Cote-Williamson of Calgary in the T46-47 200 metres.

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