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Paralympian medallists share sledge hockey expertise at Winterfest today

National Para Team member Tyler McGregor has been helping to deliver a Town-run sledge hockey program at the Magna Centre on Sunday mornings, in partnership with All Sports All People
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Tyler McGregor is shown here during the Ice Hockey Group A preliminary game between Canada and Sweden at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, PyeongChang, South Korea. Supplied photo/Joel Marklund for the International Olympic Committee

CLARIFICATION: The Paralympians conducted sledge hockey demonstrations one day only on Saturday, Feb. 16 from 9 to 11 a.m. Newmarket Winterfest is a one-day festival that runs Feb. 16.

At Newmarket's Winterfest today, you have the chance to get the inside track on how to play sledge hockey from three Paralympians who’ve made their mark on the world stage.

This Saturday, visitors can get a hands-on demonstration from Paralympians and international award-winning sledge hockey players Tyler McGregor, Brad Bowden, and Claire Buchanan.

McGregor, 24, is no stranger to Newmarket but this weekend will be his first attending Winterfest and helping participants to up their game.

The member of the Canadian National Para Hockey Team who helped the team bring home a silver medal at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games and gold at the 2017 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championships, has since January been helping to deliver a Town-run sledge hockey program at the Magna Centre on Sunday mornings, in partnership with the non-profit organization, All Sports All People.

The Paralympics is a multi-sport event modelled on and held immediately following the Olympics every four years that involves athletes with a range of disabilities.

All Sports All People has for the past five years worked to raise awareness and promote inclusive sport through sledge hockey, wheelchair basketball, hand cycling and, most recently, adaptive water polo.

“Over the five years, the organization has reached over 3,000 kids and helped them to get involved in sports,” said McGregor. “So I’m extremely excited to come on board and expand into York Region. And we’re lucky to have the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation to deliver these programs and get more people involved in inclusive sport.”

McGregor and his men’s sledge hockey teammate, Brad Bowden, who has been a professional para-athlete for 17 years, both help out with the weekly local program.

McGregor grew up an able-bodied athlete and started playing hockey at three years old. When he was 15 and playing minor midget AAA, he broke his leg in a hockey game. That recovery process led to the eventual diagnosis of spindle cell sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. From there, McGregor underwent 8-½ months of chemotherapy and had his leg amputated above the knee.

“Once I was healthy enough to get back into sport and to start to consider playing again, I knew I wanted to stay involved in hockey,” he said, adding that as a kid, he always dreamed of competing at the highest level in sport. “And sledge hockey offered me an opportunity to play a competitive sport and play for Team Canada.”

The young athlete’s record is impressive: Silver at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, gold at the 2017 IPC World Championships, silver at the 2016 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, silver at the 2015 IPC World Championships, bronze at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, and gold at the 2013 IPC World Championships.

“It’s been unbelievable, I don’t know how else to describe it. When you have the time to take a step back and reflect, it’s been pretty special,” McGregor said. “I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude for being able to represent Canada for seven years, and still be healthy enough and good enough, I guess, to still be competing.”

Perhaps the best part of that journey, he said, is the chance to share it with other people.

“I think that’s part of my mission, it’s to share those experiences with other people, especially young kids and hopefully inspire them to do the same,” said McGregor.

So, what can participants expect from a hands-on sledge hockey demo tomorrow, a sport that McGregor admitted is unlike another since it’s played competely with your upper body?

“It’s challenging adjusting to just using your arms to propel yourself and to handle the puck, pass and shoot, all with your hands at the same time,” he said. “Everyone’s just amazed at the upper body and core strength that it requires, as well.

Also take note that sledge hockey is an ambidextrous sport.

“One of the things that I had to do was train my left hand and arm to be equal to my right, and for many people that’s very unnatural,” McGregor said. “It’s challenging in a lot of ways, but it’s extremely fun.

“The special thing about sledge hockey is we see people from all different backgrounds, people who have disabilities, physical or cognitive, and people who don’t have disabilities. They all get in the sled and everyone’s equal. That’s the most special part about what we do and it’s a great reason for people to come try it out.”

McGregor heads out to Calgary on Sunday for a training camp with the men’s national team in advance of the 2019 World Para Ice Hockey Championships that takes place in Ostrava, Czech Republic from April 27 to May 4.

“We’re really looking forward to that,” he said.

Paralympians Tyler McGregor, Claire Buchanan, and Brad Bowden will conduct a hands-on demo from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 at Riverwalk Commons, Tim Hortons Water Feature and ice pad. Participants can snap a photo with the Para-athletes following the demo.

For more information on Winterfest activities, visit here.

About the Paralympians

Tyler McGregor has been a member of the Canadian Men’s Sledge Hockey Team since 2012. Since then, he has helped the team to several international medals, including a bronze at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi and a silver at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, where McGregor was alternate captain.

Brad Bowden is one of the few Paralympic athletes to win a Paralympic gold medal in the summer and winter Games. A four-time Paralympian in para ice hockey, Bowden also competed in wheelchair basketball at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, where Canada won gold. At the Torino 2006 Paralympic Games, Bowden scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game. Four years later at the Paralympic Games in Vancouver 2010, he was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

Claire Buchanan is a member of the Canadian Women’s Para Ice Hockey Team and was part of the silver-medal winning team at the 2014 IPC Women’s Sledge Hockey World Cup. She is also an elite wheelchair basketball athlete. Buchanan attended the University of Alabama, where she played on the women's wheelchair basketball team, winning a pair of NCAA titles. She has been part of the Canadian wheelchair basketball program for over a decade.