CANMORE, Alta. – Twelve-time Paralympic Winter Games medallist Mark Arendz has served notice he is the one to beat in the men’s standing events at the inaugural Para biathlon world championships set for March 5-10 at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club in Prince George, B.C.

With weather in Europe wreaking havoc on the schedule, there have been only two World Cups this winter. The World Cup Final will follow the biathlon worlds March 13-17 at the same venue with more biathlon as well as cross country races.

REGINA – Gil Dash is a familiar face in Canadian wheelchair curling circles both as a player and builder.

Now he’s carving his reputation at the international level as the second on Canada’s national team. Dash made his worlds debut in 2023 and helped Canada to a silver medal. The Canadians lost in the final to China, which took gold for a second straight worlds.

DUBAI – Austin Smeenk of Oakville, Ont. leads a six-member Canadian team at the star studded Dubai Grand Prix in Para athletics which will get underway on Tuesday. The meet was delayed a day due to bad weather on Monday.

Smeenk, a 26-year-old veteran wheelchair racer born with spastic paraplegia, produced a fantastic 2023 season to clearly establish himself as a top medal contender for the 2024 Paralmypic Games in Paris. 

Paralympian Lisa DeJong, known for her incredible journey in snowboarding, has ventured into the world of children's literature with her heartwarming book, "Lucy's Fancy Leg."

QUEBEC CITY – A warrior on the wheelchair rugby court, Fabien Lavoie unexpectedly gets emotional when discussion turns to his childhood. There are some tough memories, capped by an accident that would then require him to use a wheelchair.

Lavoie, who announced his retirement after 20+ years as one of Canada’s top players on the national team in December, was born in Moonbeam, Ont., a small Franco-Ontarian community along Highway 11 between North Bay and Kapuskasing.