Canada looks for next generation of paratriathletes
Saheed Alawiye isn't new to parasports. The 17-year-old has used a wheelchair his entire life but that never stopped him from playing basketball or participating in track and field.
Now, for the first time, he's trying Para triathlon
"I really enjoy sports, I'm happy when I play," said the Airdrie teen. "It puts a smile on my face and (I) get to know how it feels to be part of a team."
Alawiye was one of several people to show up at Calgary's Repsol Place on Sunday to try Para triathlon, combining bicycles, wheelchairs and the swimming pool into one grueling race
The sport has only been part of the Paralympics since 2016 but organizers say it's, as are many parasports, growing in popularity.
"With how much exposure we've gotten in the last couple games especially, the profile is growing," says Triathlon Canada's Carolyn Murray, "and the awareness of it being possible that athletes with impairments can do sports, I definitely think there has been growth which is amazing to see."
Coaches says people can join parasports at any age but they need to realize that if they want to go far, taking the plunge isn't easy.
"It's having that grit and willingness to push because triathlon is a hard sport," said Murray. "Being self motivated and not looking for external motivation to do what they do is important."
Many of the athletes who turned up on Sunday say motivation isn't the problem, they just need the opportunity.
Gates Kempenaar, 24, says he wish he would've pursued parasports sooner.
"My whole life I've been told I can't do things because of my disability," said Kempenaar. "I think this is a good opportunity to excel in a sport I've never tried before."
Coaches say the more people who learn about parasports, the more people will want to try them, and the more medals Canada will likely earn down the road.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.