Paralympic Games notebook: A perfect 10 for Saskatchewan

At the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, there were five athletes from Saskatchewan and that included the legendary high jumper, then Para cyclist Arnold Boldt.

When the 126-member Canadian squad was announced this week for Paris 2024, that number doubled to 10 after six at Rio 2016 and seven at Tokyo 2020.

The 10 Para athletes are Keely Shaw of Midale in Para cycling, Ashlyn Renneberg of Saskatoon in Para athletics, Jacob Wassermann of Saskatoon in Para rowing, Shelby Newkirk and Hannah Ouellet of Saskatoon and Nikata Ens of Meadow Lake in Para swimming, Julie Kozun of Melfort in sitting volleyball, Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk of Regina in wheelchair basketball and Ryan Rousell of Saskatoon in wheelchair fencing.

 “Of course, as Saskatchewan born-and raised-athletes, we tend to have that Rider Pride in us that extends beyond the Saskatchewan Roughriders,’’ said Shaw, a bronze medallist in the individual pursuit at the 2020 Games, to USask News.

‘’We bleed green for Saskatchewan, and we always gravitate together, whether it is with Shelby (Newkirk) and Nikita (Ens), or Devin Heroux commentating with CBC. Everyone from Saskatchewan we somehow always tend to find ourselves in this little group together and I think it’s the Saskatchewan roots that bring us together.”

Also the Saskatchewan talent is home grown.

That provincial firepower is evident for Nikita Ens who became a paraplegic in 2014 at age 25 in a car crash. With a solid athletics background behind her, she was able to overcome such a turbulent moment in her life thanks to family and local support.

“First after paralysis, I tried track and field, and I trained for a while with the Saskatoon Cyclones and I was medallist at the Canadian nationals,” she told USask.

“One day my mom took me to the pool at the Shaw Centre in Saskatoon and there just happened to be a coach on deck with the Saskatoon Lasers and he was awesome. He helped me get a really efficient swimming technique down, and with the help of these experts, I started competing again.”

Paralympian with historic call

Rob Snoek, the CBC announcer for the swimming events at the Olympic Games, is a three-time Paralympian (1992, 1996, 2000). He won the silver medal in the T44 100m and bronze in the 200 for leg amputees at the 1998 world championships.

The Orono, Ont. native had his lower left leg amputated at age one due to a congenital bone disease.

Earlier this month, his voice was etched in history with his magnificent call of all three gold medal performances by Summer McIntosh in Paris.

‘’I’ve been really lucky,’’ Snoek, who paid his play-by-play dues through the junior hockey circuit for many years, told TSN Radio. ‘’I’ve had a chance to call medals at Olympics, Mark McMorris three times in snowboarding, Chantal Petitclerc’s dynamic performances at the 2004 and 2008 Paralympics, but this (McIntosh) is right up at the very top, that’s for sure.’’

Twenty-time Paralympic Games medallist Benoit Huot did the colour commentary for swimming with Radio-Canada.

Wheelchair basketball teams in camp

Canada’s men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams are into their final preparations for the Paralympic Games set for August 28 to September 8 in Paris.

The veteran women’s team head into the Games as medal contenders after placing fifth at the last Games and the 2023 World Championships. The men look to continue their surge in the international standings after an eighth in Tokyo and a sixth at worlds.

The men started a camp on Wednesday in Cologne, Germany which also includes the four-country Nations Cup tournament. The Canadians faced Japan, Great Britain, Netherlands and concluded the tournament Sunday with an 81-56 win over South Korea.

“The camp in Cologne (provided) our athletes an excellent opportunity to fine-tune tactics ahead of Paris,” said Jeff Dunbrack, Wheelchair Basketball Canada High Performance Director. “The Nations Cup (gave) our athletes excellent competition as we prepare for the Paralympic Games.”

The women meanwhile wrapped up their week-long camp at Université Laval in Quebec City on Sunday.