QUEBEC CITY – The Canadian Paralympic Committee will be searching for promising Para athletes in Quebec City this month with a Paralympian Search event taking place at CÉGEP Limoilou on Saturday March 28.
Aimed at testing participant aptitudes in various sports and introducing more people to Para sport opportunities, Paralympian Search looks to discover athletes with high development potential. Co-hosted alongside the Institut national du sport du Québec (INS) and the Excellence sportive Québec-Lévis (ESQL) regional centre, the one-day event encourages all athletes ages 14 and up with a physical or visual disability to come out and discover their abilities.
Para cyclist Marie-Eve Croteau, who competed at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, will act as the event’s athlete ambassador, sharing her own story in Para sport, chatting with the participants, and offering guidance and advice. From Quebec City, Croteau finished fourth in the road race at Rio 2016 and is also a five-time world championships medallist and a Parapan Am Games bronze medallist.
“Paralympian Search is a wonderful event for people to learn more about the opportunities that are available to them in sport and how it can make such a positive impact on their lives,” said Croteau. “Sport has given me so much and I’m excited to meet others and help them in their journeys, whether it’s simply to become more active or trying to reach a top level in sport. I’m sure it will be a really fun, eye-opening day for all of the participants.”
The event includes a series of athletic challenges such as obstacle courses and sport try-its, giving participants the chance to learn more about the different sports available and in which ones they may have the most potential to compete. Representatives from different national and regional sport organizations will be on hand to view the testing and answer any questions. All participants will receive information on how to access sport opportunities at all levels.
Paralympian Search has helped bring more physical activity opportunities to over 260 athletes over the last few years, with several participants moving on to compete on the national and international levels. For example, Para canoeist Andrea Nelson (Paralympian Search Toronto 2017), finished fifth at last year’s world championships and is a contender to make the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games team this summer.
For more information about Paralympian Search and to register for the upcoming Quebec City event, please visit: Paralympic.ca/paralympian-search.
