ParaTough Cup kickstarts 2024/25 season raising over $70,000 for Para sport

The ParaTough Cup 2024/25 season began with a bang last Friday, raising $72,000 for the IGNITE campaign that supports the Para sport development in Canada. At the latest stop of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada’s groundbreaking fundraising initiative, the ParaTough Cup welcomed 12 teams at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Vancouver, vying for the title of ParaTough Cup champions.

Teams consisted of Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) partners such as lululemon, Fasken, Pfizer Canada, Suncor / Petro-Canada represented by Coastal Mountain Fuels, while also being supported by teams from BLG, RBC, Harper Grey LLP, Invictus Games, and a team fielded by PFC Vice-Chair Robert Cassius de Linval called ‘The Collective’.

After an exciting afternoon of competition that had teams compete in a round-robin tournament featuring a range of disciplines including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and Para ice hockey, it was the Fasken team that emerged victorious and crowned 2024 ParaTough Cup Vancouver champions.

Fasken team captain Marco Maduri expressed his and the team’s excitement for a great day capped by raising the champion’s trophy.

“It’s an amazing event. Hearing from the athletes, seeing some of them in their elements, whether it’s the wheelchair basketball folks or the athletes from para ice hockey, you realize how hard what they do really is. You gain respect for their talent and their grit, and it’s for a great cause,” Marco shared. “Being able to fundraise and support them, and the Para athletes of the future, was an absolute pleasure. We’re happy to be here, and I think we’re looking forward to maybe defending the championship next year.”

For Dean Brokop, Executive Director of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada, the event was a standout moment in the ParaTough Cup series and a thrilling way to kick off the 2024/25 season.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the ParaTough Cup season,” Brokop said. “The energy at the Vancouver event was electric, with a large number of returning participants but also some new faces who were keen to jump into the spirit of the day,” Brokop said. “Seeing people light up as they try the Para sports like wheelchair basketball, moving around, laughing, learning and gaining a newfound appreciation for Para sport is always the highlight of the day.”

Friday’s event was emceed by Paralympic Games Para alpine skiing gold medallist Josh Dueck who also hosted a number of fireside chats during the day, allowing participants to hear from Para athletes about their own journeys in Para sport.

Canadian Para athletes included Paris 2024 silver medallist Nathan Clement (Para cyling), Paris 2024 bronze medallist Felicia Voss-Shafiq (Sitting volleyball), six-time Paralympic medallist Mollie Jepsen (Para alpine), and others who were there to offer their expertise to participants and to share inspiring stories of their challenges and triumphs.

The ParaTough Cup series continues on Thursday, November 7, with the next stop in Montreal, presented by Pfizer Canada. For more information, visit ParaToughCup.ca.