Meet Our Ambassadors

Before she acquired her disability, Ashley was living independently and working as a dental assistant. Now she passes time by training and playing wheelchair rugby.

On August 4th, 2011, Ashley was traveling to High Level from the Edmonton International Airport with a friend after spending her summer vacation in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. They were in a single vehicle accident 10 minutes from home and Ashley was ejected from the vehicle. She sustained a C6/C7 SCI.

After her accident, Ashley was medevaced to the city of Edmonton, had surgery and spent a month and a half in recovery at the University of Alberta Hospital. Ashley was then transferred to the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital where she spent 3 months learning how to live in her new body. From wheelchair skills, to transferring and getting dressed, the way she once did things had drastically changed. Ashley was afraid of what her future looked like. She felt that everything she had accomplished so far in life had been taken away in one moment.

Ashley is hoping to find a new career that she can be passionate about, and would like to go back to school. At the moment, she keeps busy training and playing wheelchair rugby and hand-cycling when she can.

Bean Gill was born in Edmonton to an East Indian family in the 1980's and has 3 crazy siblings. She grew up to become an x-ray technologist whose career was cut short by an unforeseen event that left her paralyzed from the waist down in July 2012. Now happily divorced and running a growing non profit organization called ReYu Paralysis Recovery Centre she is changing the way the public sees people with disabilities.

She advocates for equality in ALL aspects and uses her loud voice to raise awareness. Some of her accolades include: Global's Woman of Vision award, Top 40 Under 40, RBC's Women of Influence Award and she is the reigning Miss Wheelchair Canada.....a few steps forward in her plan to change the world❤️

Kuen has had many firsts: the first person with quadriplegia in the world to letter comic books for DC comics, the first person with quadriplegia to do functional-electrical stimulation rowing in North America, and the first person with quadriplegia to hike up Ha Ling Peak in the Rockies. 

She was driving home after a short vacation when her car veered off the highway and launched over a cliff. She was thrown out of the car and sustained an SCI. Waking up after a week in a coma, she had to face a new reality. She accepted her body was no longer the same, but believed her many dreams could still come true.

And they did. Kuen earned her Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and launched new adventures. In her spare time, she loves to paint, wood work, and glass etch. She enjoys rugby, alpine skiing, and hiking.

Marilyn currently works for Accessible Vehicle Solutions and enjoys meeting other people, warm summer days and watching sports.

At age 25, Marilyn was young, active in sports, newly married and was enjoying life. She never thought her life would change; but on March 2, 1995 her life took a change. Marilyn and her husband were struck by an oncoming driver who had a seizure and drove across the centre line. Marilyn sustained a spinal cord injury. Unfortunately, her husband did not survive the accident.

Immediately after her injury, Marilyn faced a lot of uncertainly about her future. She makes the best out of each day with a positive attitude and determination. She has learned to appreciate the simple things and takes pride in going beyond what she was told she’d be able to do. She enjoys sharing her story to help others.

A soccer player, a track and field athlete, and a motocross racer were usual descriptions of Sierra at the age of 16. However, all that changed after a motocross accident left her paralyzed from the chest down. After a few short years, she is ready to show people that living with a disability doesn’t have to be a tragic story. 

Now, studying Kinesiology at the University of Alberta, she hopes to change people’s minds about living an active life, regardless of ability. An adapted athlete, disability advocate, and exercise professional are the new and improved descriptions of Sierra. 

Susan is passionate about the farming community and volunteers her time as a 4-H leader and a board member for Camp Mackinicholea. She is also a CNIB Champion. 

She was always involved in her children’s schools and in her community. Driving was a defining part of her life, delivering mail for Canada Post. In 2012, she was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease and was no longer able to drive. This was a huge blow to her independence and financial freedom. 

The reality of having to rely on others for help was her hardest and most valuable lesson. She is currently a full-time student at Athabasca University, pursuing a degree in psychology. In her spare time she participates in obstacle-and-mud runs with her son, and enjoys running, fishing, camping, and farming.
 

Ashley is a three-time Paralympian in Para-Dressage, representing Canada at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, the London 2012 Paralympic Games, and the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. She also rode at the 2010 and 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games (USA and France, respectively). Her career highlights include top-10 finishes at both the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Paralympic Games.

She began riding at the age of two, after being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Her parents were told horseback riding would be great physiotherapy and help with her stretching and balance. She was soon hooked, and by 2006, made her debut on the Canadian Para-Dressage Team in Langley, B.C.

Ashley has engaged in public speaking for many years, and since 2014, has been an ambassador for Right To Play, an organization dedicated to educating children about healthy, active living. She published her first book, My Opportunities Just Dress Up As Obstacles, in late 2015.
 

Growing up while losing her vision has had its challenges for Brenda. She has gone from having to move closer to the TV or using a monocular to see the blackboard, to not being able to recognize people on the street. She has adapted, but sometimes still runs into posts and needs a guide for skiing, or navigating difficult scenarios like an airport or a low light restaurant. Brenda learnt early on that the only way to get anywhere was to be a self-advocate. However, she thanks all the teachers around her that helped her through her high school years.

Brenda has a non-cancerous brain tumour that was found when she was 2 years old, and which still has. The tumour is due to a genetic condition known as Neurofibromatosis 1, where her body can grow tumours anywhere there is a nerve ending. She has had numerous surgeries to remove other tumours in her body, and she has had chemo and radiotherapy for the brain tumour. Brenda has just recently been classified as being legally blind.

In the fall, Brenda will be starting her second year of college. She is studying Resort and Hotel Management. She is also a Para Alpine ski racer, with sights set on one day going to the Paralympics. Brenda also loves to bake and cook, write, draw, and spend time outdoors. She is currently finishing her Gold level of the Duke of Edinburgh program. Brenda dreams of one day opening a small bistro/bakery that is accessible to everyone, of all different abilities.
 

Being born with Spina Bifida, Jenna has never known life without it. One aspect of growing up with Spina Bifida that made life difficult for her was being immersed in such an adult world, forcing her to mature much quicker than her peers, making it difficult to make friends. However, Jenna did earn a lot of respect and confidence through Karate. Despite being in a wheelchair, she rose the ranks in Karate and earned her second degree black belt.

Jenna had to learn that people are drawn to confidence, and that confidence comes from doing things that you love and feel good about - your soul can’t help but shine. This is how she found the courage to move across the country BY HERSELF and start a new life, making friends that have seen her at her absolute best and absolute worst.

Jenna is now in the midst of completing her Master’s Degree in Social Work so she can work in the pediatric healthcare system. She completed Tough Mudder Half in 2016 and still works out four times a week. Jenna also loves public speaking!
 

Before her accident, Jessica was an active teenager who played basketball and softball, and she dreamed of a profession where she could help people or animals, a psychologist or veterinarian.

One summer, while working for a small painting company, Jessica fainted and fell off a ladder, leaving her with quadriplegia. In rehab, she dealt with the frustrations of living in a wheelchair, but soon realized that people in wheelchairs could do all the same things as anyone else, just in a different way.

Jessica graduated from Simon Fraser University with an English degree and creative writing certificate in 2015. In 2019, she completed certification in Baking and Pastry Arts at Vancouver Community College and in October of that year, started her own custom dessert business, “The Stubborn Baker”. Jessica also plays wheelchair rugby for the BC Wheelchair Rugby Team, and got engaged to her boyfriend, Juan, in the summer of 2019.

Jim knows the support of his wife, family, and friends carries him through each day. He’s looking forward to sharing his story as a volunteer with the Rick Hansen Foundation.

In March 2016, Jim slipped while diving through a large wave in Hawaii. The wave drove his head into the sand, breaking his neck. He was paralyzed instantly and nearly drowned due to the injury. He now has quadriplegia with minimal movement in his arms and legs.

Before his injury, Jim worked as an airline pilot and enjoyed a variety of sports including golf, hockey, paddle boarding, and cycling. Since his injury, he’s investigating new employment and volunteer activities. 
 

Growing up, Jim’s personal attitude, along with the support of his family and friends fueled the drive to live a fulfilling life. Today, Jim, his wife, and son continue to live a great life, however, having a disability and accomplishing daily routine tasks often requires ten times the amount of work and planning. While he and his family have accomplished so much, there continues to be many barriers that people with disabilities face. Jim believes that education in both attitudes and planning continue to be important issues.

Jim was born with Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenital, a type of dwarfism that has caused many issues causing Jim to have over 30 operations, most of which took place when he was a child. At the age of 15, his severe scoliosis was starting to damage his spinal cord and he was rushed to the hospital for a spinal fusion to stop further progression. Every couple of years after the spinal fusion, he went in for another round of corrective orthopedic surgeries.  As Jim ages, he finds it requires more and more effort to manage daily routines. “We all have the same desires to accomplish something, enjoy something or experience something, it just may take some of us a 'little bit' longer to get there... Maybe we will enjoy it that 'little bit' more?”

When Jim’s son was born with the same condition, he had an overwhelming urge to try and make his son’s life a little easier than his had been. He wanted the world to be more aware, prepared, and accessible.

Jim owns a business that continues to do well. He enjoys being with his family. His wife is a teacher, and they have a 13 year old son. They live in the country, and after a long day of work or school, they prefer to spend time at home. On weekends, they often explore local areas, or the rest of the island. They love to travel, go on day or weekend trips, go camping, and ATV riding. They also have a Miniature Dachshund named Hank.
 

When Kimberly’s accident happened two weeks after high school graduation the world was her oyster! She played in the Nationals in Handball, and she had graduated with good grades and looked forward to starting college in September.

One summer evening a few friends spontaneously showed up at Kimberly’s front door and someone suggested trying out the "new toy" her dad had recently bought -- a three wheel ATV.  What they didn’t know at the time was how dangerous they were.  Due to a design flaw, 1 in 3 people were either killed or seriously injured on them and they were soon recalled.  Just like many others, Kimberly was in the passenger’s “seat” when she fell while going uphill.  The next thing she remembers while she was lying on the ground in the dark of night was thinking “I’m paralyzed”.

The doctor at Prince George Regional Hospital told Kimberly’s family, "She is paralyzed from the neck down.”  After being flown by air ambulance in the middle of the night to Vancouver Hospital (ASCIU-ICU) with a broken neck, several other injuries as well as pneumonia, her family was told she wouldn't make it. However, Kimberly fought hard for the next 2.5 months at the ASCIU and then spent another 10 months at GF Strong learning to get out of bed, dress, shower, brush her teeth and so on as a quadriplegic-until she became independent enough to live on her own.

It was difficult not thinking about all the things she could no longer do-even watching people on TV walk was upsetting at times. One day a light bulb literally turned on. She couldn't change what happened to her but she COULD change her perspective. Kimberly figured for most things, "Where there is a will, there is a way". While her parents expected her to return home, Kimberly decided to take a risk. She moved into an apartment alone in Vancouver. She had never lived alone yet, never mind as a quadriplegic. Kimberly made a few friends in rehab but it was scary moving to a new city. Fortunately, she made a special friend who was always there for her and 5 years later she married him. Kimberly graduated from UBC, and they bought a home in the burbs... and the rest is history.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Kimberly left Prince George to live in Vancouver in pursuit of a better life. Shortly before graduating from UBC she became gainfully employed, married her best friend and travelled to places she hadn't even dreamed of prior to my accident. From jet-skiing in the Caribbean to getting kissed by a dolphin in Bermuda and almost every activity in between. Kimberly is also known as "Auntie Kim" by the neighbourhood children and her nieces and nephews who are the joy of my life!

Kirsten worked as a producer in the animation and film industry for almost 10 years. She is now a Peer Support Specialist for Spinal Cord Injury BC. 

She was 14 years old and on a ski trip in Whistler when she accidently hit a man-made jump and landed in a tree well. The impact severed Kirsten’s spine, leaving her with paraplegia. Her attitude and outlook on life had always been positive, and the accident didn't change that; she returned to school the day after leaving rehab, determined to move forward. 

Kirsten went on to graduate with a joint major degree in business and psychology and also holds a diploma in media in television production. She also competes in tennis, and loves to swim, row, and bike. 
 

Kyle works for a law firm and volunteers with the adapted fitness centre, PARC, at ICORD. In 2013 and 2015, he was a member of the national wheelchair floorball team representing Canada in Holland. For the past five years, he has played sledge hockey for the BC provincial team, winning the Western Canadian Championships twice. 

Kyle sustained a spinal cord injury and a head injury after the brakes failed on his bike while driving down a dirt hill. He spent the next three months in hospital recovering and re-learning how to do simple daily tasks. 

His pain has lessened greatly through exercise and sporting activities, but he attributes most of his success to the loved ones who helped him along his journey. He currently lives with his long-time girlfriend, with whom he hopes to spend the rest of his life. 

Marco was born with cerebral palsy, but thanks to his parents, who introduced to him to sports at an early age, he thrived. He has competed in the BC Games for Athletes with Disabilities since 1994, earning 22 Gold, 10 Silver and two Bronze Medals in various sporting events. 

Over the years, Marco has advocated for people with disabilities through his volunteer work with Easter Seals, The Lions Society of BC, The Sunshine Foundation, The Active Living Alliance, and The United Way. He started his own business as an inspirational speaker and has spoken at TEDxStanleyPark and The Duke Of Edinburgh Awards. In 2013, he received the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by the Self-Employment and Entrepreneur Development Society, and in 2014, was nominated for the BC Business ‘Top 30 under 30’ award.

Six months prior to his injury, Mujtaba moved from South Africa to Canada. He was a seventeen year old high school student. While walking through a forest on the Sunshine Coast, a dead tree fell on him and crushed his neck, resulting in a C4,5,6 spinal cord injury.

Mujtaba woke up in the hospital with immediate acceptance of his situation and started to do what he could to improve his situation. He spent half a year in the hospital, three months in America at a spinal cord injury recovery center, and four hours a day since then working out.

Mujtaba has recovered so much thanks to all the hard work he has put in and the support he’s received from his family and friends. He has learned how to make art again despite his limited hand function and he is now a professional artist on his way to starting his own clothing brand.
 

Before her near fatal illness in 2008, Suzan was a dynamic Hotel Sales Executive who drove and flew all over North America to meet with clients and attended trade, travel and consumer shows. She lived an extremely fast-paced life in Vancouver. She and her husband were in the same industry so their social networks intertwined. All of that changed once Suzan became paralyzed due to Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and was bedridden, immobilized and institutionalized at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre.  She now has a deeper, richer personal respect for herself and her limits. Suzan never knew limits existed for her before and now, her body reminds her every day.

Over the last 10 years, Suzan has become a liaison for the Guillain-Barré Syndrome Foundation of Canada; an author (Suzan and her husband wrote a book which they titled “Paralyzed Without Warning”) and visited Canada giving inspirational presentations and performing TV and Radio interviews; worked with several City Advisory Committees on accessibility issues; a Finalist for the Courage to Come Back Awards; were included in the UBC Neuroscience Program for 2nd Year Medical Students for 8 years; have had several articles and blogs on accessibility published; became a Rick Hansen Ambassador 10 years after seeing Rick Hansen’s photo on the wall at GF Strong and dreaming of working with him on a shared dream of barrier-free living; invited to join VIA Rail's Accessibility Committee; Executive Board Member of Victoria Disability Resource Centre and member of BC Transit's Accessibility Transportation Advisory Committee.  Today, the future projects that Suzan looks forward to taking part in are the continuance of her stable health, continuing her pledge of being there for others and mostly, using her voice to speak for those that cannot.

Teri has enjoyed fulfilling careers as a Paralympic athlete and fashion designer. She’s mom to a young son, as well as an active volunteer for WC Race Series and SCI-BC.

She’s worked hard to become independent. While on vacation in Australia, the driver of the car she was in skidded on a hairpin turn on a gravel road and rolled the car. Once a professional dancer and model with a job in the software industry, she was left with paraplegia.

After spending a year of rehab in both Australia and Vancouver, Teri tried to get back to the life she had before her injury. While this has been difficult, she has had many successes.

Tom has given hundreds of geology presentations and is now eager to share the story of his path from fierce independence to proactive interdependence. 

At age 20, he entered a 160-km motorcycle desert race. Early into the race, he cut the track to pass the crowd. Coming face-to-face with a huge boulder at 80 km/hr, he jumped it, sending both Tom and motorcycle cart-wheeling through the air. Tom later awoke from surgery with paraplegia.  

After several weeks in hospital, Tom returned to university and with the help of new friends and mentors, he graduated with his first degree in geology. He now holds a PhD in geology and is an adjunct professor at two universities. He’s also president of an international consultancy and was directly involved in the discovery of two diamond mines in Canada. 
 

A veteran on Team Canada, Jared Funk has competed in wheelchair rugby since 2001, winning three Paralympic medals - Silver in Athens 2004, Bronze in Beijing 2008 and Silver in London 2012. 

He was introduced to wheelchair rugby in 1993 after a car accident left him with quadriplegia at age 18. After the 2012 London Paralympics, Jared took a break from wheelchair rugby to be at home with his wife and three young children. 

He then became involved with the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries IMPACT Team as coordinator, and is back training and playing wheelchair rugby on Team Manitoba. 

Jared hopes to inspire those in sport or considering sport that there are means to join. Having an injury can mean the start of something bigger. If there is a will there is a way, Jared is proof of that.

Paula is celebrating her disability by shooting a documentary. For 15 years, she’s lived with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. 

At age 13, she twisted her ankle. Since then, every movement and touch triggers excessive pain. Her condition was diagnosed over a year later. 

Although she had to leave university when new medications hindered her ability to focus and think, she has kept a positive mindset. She continues to make progress, using canes and a wheelchair to move around.

Active in both wheelchair tennis and sledge hockey, Samuel won five silver medals in the Western Canadian Summer Games in 2007 and 2011, and a gold and silver medal in the Western Sledge Hockey Championships in 2010. In 2015, he placed 12th at the Wheelchair Tennis Nationals. 

He was born with spina bifida and paralyzed from the waist down. He became active in many sports and found a group of supportive friends. Although he has faced many challenges, he believes his experiences have shaped him into who he is today – strong and unwavering in his determination.

Samuel completed his Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Winnipeg, and is starting a CPA designation toward a career in accounting. 
 

In January 2013, Shannon was the passenger in a vehicle. The driver lost control and the car rolled. Shannon was found 100 feet from the vehicle, and was taken to the hospital. She was eventually diagnosed with an L1 incomplete spinal cord injury.

During the time of her injury, Shannon was the Transition services Rehab Counsellor at Canadian Paraplegic Association. Even though she was very good at transitioning members of CPA, she found it difficult transitioning herself.

Shannon currently works for the province of Manitoba with a degree in Social Work. She has three nephews and a niece that are her pride and joy. Her life wouldn’t be complete without her faithful dog Becky who has got her through many rough moments.
 

Zephania is the executive director of the Canadian Multicultural Disability Center. He has been involved in many projects involving disability and ethnicity.

At age five, a measles infection caused him to lose his sight. Despite this, he didn’t lose his determination to overcome challenges. He learned to believe in himself and never give up. 

Today, helps people from different ethno-racial backgrounds cope with health-related challenges and participate fully in their communities. 

George Woodworth liked to be busy. Before his injury, George ran a special care home with his mother, had a renovation business, worked on call for the Sheriff’s Department, and also worked part time as a security officer. He thought that he was getting his life in order.

September 9, 2007 would be the day that changed George’s life forever.  George’s neighbour invited him to go raccoon hunting that evening.  They went out to a cornfield with his neighbour’s blue tick hound, Buddy.  When Buddy successfully treed a raccoon, George and his neighbour would follow the sound of Buddy’s barks.  They successfully hunted a few racoons, until one time they followed Buddy’s barks but could not see the raccoon in the tree.

George decided he would climb another tree close-by so that he could see the raccoon.  Unfortunately he did not have his climbing spurs or safety belt on.  He was up about 15 feet when he felt a branch break underneath his foot.
George fell and landed on his back, with a rock under the back of his neck.  The impact shattered his collar bone and broke three of his vertebrae.  He was in the intensive care unit for three weeks until they transferred him to the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation in Fredericton, where he worked hard at rehabilitation for eight long months.

When George moved back to the special care home that he and his mom owned, he struggled with all of the challenges that living with a spinal cord injury and becoming a quadriplegic entails. It took him quite a while to accept the fact that he was the one that needed help instead of being the one to help others.

Today, George has a small woodworking business making transfer boards and other equipment for people with disabilities.  George plans on building a shop and an accessible apartment complex in the next few years.
 

Alaina believes every obstacle she encounters and overcomes only makes her stronger. With her upbeat attitude and amazing sense of humour, she doesn’t let anything slow her down. Born with Spina Bifida, Alaina was taught to try to do things for herself. Her parents wanted her to be independent despite her disability. 

She worked hard for many years to become more self-reliant. Today, she works part time as a dispatcher for a paratransit system in St. Johns. 

When not at work, Alaina enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to music, and learning about new kinds of technology.
 

Dion works full time as a peer-support specialist, assisting individuals with SCI and other mobility issues in community rehabilitation. He also works part time in finance. 

At age 20, in 1999, he was newly married with a nine-month old son. On his parents’ wedding anniversary, he slipped while climbing down some scaffolding. He fell through a plank, hitting his head and fracturing his neck. He was left with incomplete quadriplegia.

Dion spent a long time in rehabilitation preparing for his new life. He has worked hard to regain what he could of his arm and leg movement and beat the odds.
 

Emma lives life to the fullest as an active university student and athlete.

She lost her hearing when she was 13 months old due to meningitis. Having lived with hearing loss for almost her entire life, Emma says it hardly feels like a disability. She considers it a part of herself that she can’t see her life without. 

Emma credits her hearing loss with contributing in positive ways to the person she is today. She began participating in sports at age five, starting with soccer. Today she competes with the St. Francis Xavier University women’s curling team, which won the 2017 Atlantic University Sport curling championships.

When not in school, she works for Scotiabank, and is cultivating a passion for art and travel. She is taking painting courses and will be participating in a student exchange in 2018 to Australia.
 

Mark lives with Cerebral Palsy, which has not stopped his drive and determination to be the best he can be. He is a co-founder of Fundmetric, a technology company that specializes in helping charities identify and inspire donors using real-time data analysis. 

He served as Vice President (Internal) of the Dalhousie Student Union, facilitating leadership opportunities for over 180 student societies. In 2010, Mark was awarded the Malcolm Honour Award, the highest honor available from the Dalhousie Student Union for exceptional dedication to extra-curricular activities on campus. Mark holds a Bachelor of Political Science. 

Mark was accepted in the highfliers program as one of ten entrepreneurs poised for high growth. He was also selected from over 1500 applicants as one of 30 youth ambassador to the Junior Team Canada Program where he represented businesses on an international trade mission to Mexico.

Prior to moving to Nova Scotia in 2004, Mark was the first disabled kayaker in Regina Saskatchewan. He was awarded the President's Award for sportsmanship and perseverance. He was also nominated for Junior Citizen of the Year.
 

Alec has many talents, from archery to advocacy for people with disabilities. He enjoyed a 35-year career with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and retired to a 4.5 acre property. He stays active by gardening, cycling, kayaking, paranordic skiing, wheelchair curling, and practicing archery as a member of the Canadian Para-Archery National Team. 

As a young man, Alec wanted to work at a job he loved, start a family, be involved in sports and in the community, and be healthy. At age 29, while bow hunting, he experienced a spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia. After four months in rehab, he realized it was up to him to find new ways to achieve his goals. He chose to see the road ahead as full of possibilities rather than limitations. 

Alec believes his life goals have been realized to a much greater extent because of his injury. He gives back to his community as coordinator of the Active Together Program for Peterborough Council for Persons with a Disability, Chair of the Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee for the Township of Selywn and the County of Peterborough, and a peer support mentor for SCI Ontario.
 

Before Alex’s injury, he was a very active person involved in many extreme sports.  He was becoming a professional FMX athlete. He also worked full time as a veterinary assistant, had great family and friends, and was finally finding starting to find his confidence and excelling. Everything took a 180 when he was injured, and since his injury, he has had to find himself all over again.

At the time of Alex’s injury, he had just been taken on to ride for someone he had watched growing up.  He felt like his dreams were coming true, and was in the process of learning to backflip motorcycles into a foam pit when his bike landed on his head and broke his neck.

Alex was in Toronto Rehab’s Lyndhurst Centre from July to December.  His dreams of riding professionally had come crashing down quickly after they had started coming true. Facing a life where he’d likely never ride a motorcycle again, let alone walk, and having to relearn just about everything was a tough thing to face. Alex learned patience, perseverance, positivity and appreciation.

Alex is active in his community, giving presentations for the P.A.R.T.Y. Program, and volunteers at the veterans’ centre in Sunnybrook. His interests still include motocross/freestyle, music, the world wars/history/Canada, collecting and studying militaria, going to museums, air shows, flying in warplanes, and riding ATVs.

Anthony is passionate about accessibility, inclusion, integration, and equal opportunities for people of all abilities. He has first-hand experience of how mobility can change. Born with Spina Bifida, he moved from using a cane to help him walk, at age 13, to using a wheelchair full time. He graduated from Mohawk College with diplomas in E-Business and Office Executive Administration, and currently works at Mohawk College and McMaster University. He enjoys playing sledge hockey and baseball and spending time with family and friends.

Bob Asham sustained a spinal cord injury one night in January of 1988. During a night of hockey with his Men’s hockey team, he went headlong in the boards and broke his neck. He spent six months in hospital recovering and doctors told him he had a 10% chance of regaining any movement from the neck down and would require constant care.

Bob was able to beat those odds. After 2 years of rehab he returned to work, having gained enough movement to walk short distances with crutches. He also uses a wheelchair for everyday getting around. Bob Asham has coached Minor Hockey and Baseball for the last 12 years and has sat on the Accessibility Committee in his community for the past 8 years.
 

Chris Channon was a successful businessman, humanitarian and adventurer. He loved to travel, ride motorcycles, scuba dive and mountain climb. It could be said, he was "living the dream".

All of his dreams and ambitions came to a sudden halt one fateful evening while on vacation in Thailand. He went for a stroll along a pristine beach and was viciously mugged and left for dead. By some momentous act of God, he survived his attack. Chris was left an incomplete quadriplegic, given little hope that he would ever walk again.

Chris spent over 5 months in the hospital recovering from his beating and more than 9 months doing intensive outpatient rehab. He fought not only the physical battles but the emotional pain from the loss of his previous life. Chris vowed to "Never Give Up".

Ever grateful for his "new life", Chris is working hard to give back to the community that so helped him along his journey. He is hoping his story can inspire both young and old alike to never take life for granted and always be thankful for what we have.

Don Calvert was a busy man with a family, an athlete, a registered nurse on the surgical unit, a local paper mill worker, and a Union Executive Board member, until he was involved in a single vehicle roll over. Don was involved in a single vehicle roll over. He was in a coma, had broken most of the vertebrae in his spine, collapsed his lung, broken almost all his ribs and was air lifted to Sunny Brook Hospital in Toronto. Since then, Don and his wife started to invest in real estate properties in his hometown and also in Florida where they now manage a rental business and keeps them busy. Don also began to volunteer and started a committee that evolved in a nonprofit, of which he is now chairman. Using his side-by-side four wheeler, Don loves exploring the amazing trails in his Northern Ontario community with his daughters.

Elsa faces challenges head on. She’s a successful athlete competing in Women’s National sitting volleyball and women’s single scull para-rowing. She is a student at the University of Ottawa and a community worker at Valoris for Children and adults of Prescott-Russell. As a passionate volunteer, she is the coordinator for the Jumpstart Foundation in eastern Ontario, foster family for a six-year-old girl with special needs, respite worker for special needs kids, and a speaker for SCI Ontario. She even plays the violin!

Elsa was in grade 7 when she lost control of her snowboard and crashed, leaving her with a brain injury and paraplegia. She spent the following two years at home recovering from her accident. Always a gifted student who participated in many different clubs and sports, and dreamed of becoming a doctor, Elsa has had to adapt and find new ways to use her abilities. 
 

Prior to her diagnosis Elyse often put things off. Her diagnosis, and the fact that her disability is potentially progressive, added new obstacles with each relapse. It has taught her the importance of doing things she wants to do when the opportunity arises, and enjoying what life has to offer.

Elyse was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in her early 20s. She now has Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome including Multiple Sclerosis, Graves Disease, autoimmune hepatitis and diabetes. She has mobility issues as a result of MS and lives with chronic pain.  

Elyse is currently completing her Masters in Social Justice Studies at Lakehead University, having done a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Honours), and Diversity and Social Justice Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island as a mature student. Her research interests stem from her personal experience and are around intersectional barriers to health care. She recently got married (July 2018) and she works as a researcher, as well as a peer support program coordinator for a local non-profit. She loves playing board games, dungeons and dragons, swimming, going on outdoor adventures especially if they involve waterfalls or swimming, reading, writing, and drinking tea. 

Fernando Resende spends his time doing a variety of things. Among them, he volunteers for multiple organizations including Rick Hansen Foundation as a public speaker advocating for the importance of accessibility, inclusion, adopting a try new things and never-give-up attitude regardless of your situation. 

He is a husband and father and has tried almost every adaptive sport that is known. He is an avid cyclist and tennis player, having competed in both at a charity and competitive level. Presently he still focuses on handcycling but occasionally helps out with wheelchair tennis. He enjoys volunteering his time to kids with disabilities and newly injured adult programs.

Before his Spinal Cord Injury 16 years ago, he worked for many years as an Art Director primarily in publishing and advertising. He has been an avid Photographer since studying Fine Art back in University and opened FMprints.com 10 years ago. He likes to travel to interesting places and is always inspired by new surroundings, which end up being inspiration for new photographs. He has experimented with printing on different materials such as different types of plywood and unique metals. His works have been shown in Galleries and Shows all over Toronto. 
 

Jackie is finishing up her kinesiology degree at York University with plans to study nutrition at Ryerson University. She volunteers as a mentor for a youth group and speaks to groups of teenagers about dealing with life’s challenges.

Born with a vascular malformation in her left leg, her condition was fairly manageable during childhood. One day, as she was leaving school, she spontaneously fractured her tibia and fibula. After a very lengthy recovery, she needed two canes to walk. Her life was completely changed as she had to adjust to her limited mobility.

Today, when not at school, Jackie enjoys exercising, baking, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

Joel works with RBC as part of the RBC Olympians Program and with Tennis Canada as a coach and ambassador, promoting inclusivity within the sport. 

Shortly after he was born, doctors discovered a benign tumour near his spine. While the tumour was successfully removed, Joel began using a wheelchair at a young age and has had many corrective surgeries growing up to fix his scoliosis. 

Spending a lot of time in hospitals as a child allowed Joel to face adversity head on and prepared for life in a wheelchair as an adult. He recently retired from high-performance competition after representing Canada at the Paralympic level.
 

Joey’s life took an unexpended turn when he sustained a spinal cord injury on June 14th, 2009. With the help of his family and his wife Vanessa, they were able to overcome life’s unexpected turn of events. Joey was busy working in construction at the time and never thought anything like this was ever going to happen to him, but once it did, he realized that life is never what you think it is, but instead what you make of it. 

Joey has contributed to multiple organizations in the past such as the PARTY program, SmartRisk, CPC, SCIO and other speaking engagements alike. He always looks for new opportunities to grow as a person.

Joey had set his sights on making the National team early on after his injury. With the support of his wife and kids, he has now made the National team and competes internationally at World Cups and World Championships since 2017 and is chasing his dreams of one day competing at the Paralympics.

He has never stopped moving forward, and with all that life has to offer, he’s not going to stop now.
 

Julie won the 2017 Be Bold for Change Award, honouring inspiring women in her community. She authors a blog about her recovery from a spinal cord injury, and advocates for bike safety and accessibility.

Julie - a married mother of two, science teacher, and coach - was training for a triathlon on her bike when a car hit her from behind. She sustained a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis from the chest down. Her recovery in hospital lasted over three months.

Since then, she has transferred her skills as a teacher in the classroom to that of an activist in the community. While it’s been a difficult journey, she actively encourages people to work past their own their challenges and reach out to others in need.
 

Mardelle, an Indigenous ambassador at the Rick Hansen Foundation, hopes to inspire everyone to embrace their inner hero and be the best they can be. A retired healthcare work for seniors and their families, she’s a mother of three grown children and dedicated to her community.

At age 29, Mardelle suffered a complete spinal cord injury and brain injury during a tragic accident which claimed the life of her husband. After spending months in neurological intensive care, doctors told her she’d never walk again, have cognitive ability, or any quality of life. Her father insisted she be placed in a rehabilitation centre, and after a few months of intensive care and treatment, Mardelle walked out of the hospital. 

Today, she enjoys a wide variety of activities including skating, light hiking, camping, knitting, writing, gardening, travel, and spending time with family.

Meenu is an international disability rights advocate. She’s received numerous awards from the Canadian government, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, Voice Media Group, and other organizations. She is currently president at the Center for the Independent Living, chair of the Vaughan Accessibility Advisory Committee, and board member of the Punjabi Community Health Services.

When she first arrived in Canada, she began to experience intense back pain. An X-ray showed the cause: the rods inserted in her back to support a childhood spinal curvature needed adjustment. During the surgery, she sustained an unexpected spinal cord injury and was paralyzed.

Meenu faced this life-altering event head-on. She’s proud to be a daughter, wife, and mother. When not advocating, she enjoys reading, writing, and listening to music.

Mike has a strong interest in motivational speaking and accessibility advocacy, with a goal to help organizations better understand the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. He holds a degree in Information Technology and has worked for the past nine years as an IT sales professional. 

He has had Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) his entire life. OI is a genetic disorder characterized by bones that break easily, often from little or no apparent cause. People with OI may have just a few or as many as several hundred fractures in a lifetime.

Mike believes having to deal with multiple broken bones, a number of surgeries, and all the people who helped him along the way have made him the person he is today. He feels fortunate to be independent, with a great support group of family and friends, his wife of 10 years, and two corgis.

In his spare time, he and his wife have recently taken up short-distance marathon running and are card-carrying Disney Vacation Club members. 

One day in 1997, at the age of 4, Robert was riding in the car and wondered why he couldn't see the CN tower on the horizon anymore. Later, at a doctor's appointment, he thought someone was playing a trick on him when he covered his left eye, because suddenly the room went dark.  Doctors told him needed surgery to remove a brain tumor. After surgery, it was dark all of the time, because now Robert was blind.

Robert spent more than 11 years battling his brain tumors, and every day since that first surgery he had to learn how to adapt to a world without sight.

When you hear Robert's story, you will see that being blind has never held him back. Adversity and the will to overcome it define Robert. He is a competitive swimmer, runs a successful charity and is a graduate of St. Lawrence College. Robert has received the King Clancy Award from the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons, a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, and has been inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame in recognition of his work for people with disabilities. Robert enjoys spending time in the kitchen and finds himself occupied by his passion for woodworking.

Sharon has had a 25-year career with the Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario. She is a speaker for both the CNIB and Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, and enjoys educating the public about living with a disability. 

She was born with glaucoma and has been fully blind since she was 13 years old. Her childhood dream was to help people by becoming a doctor or nurse, but without her sight, she made different plans. 

Sharon wants the world to know having a disability doesn’t mean you can’t live a full and successful life. She is married with two sons, and in her spare time loves to read, listen to music, and take long walks.
 

It is hard to live with an extremely rare condition that most doctors do not know about, and for which virtually no treatment exists. The fact that Sinead's disability is not always as visible to others has meant that she has had to work extra hard to advocate for herself.

Parkes Weber Syndrome is a progressive and life-threatening condition that impacts the muscular, skeletal, vascular, and lymphatic systems. Sinead's right side is significantly larger than her left, which impacts her mobility and results in chronic pain and bouts of spasticity.

Since Sinead's condition makes traditional employment difficult, she spends her time advocating for people with disabilities. In the last year, she has spoken at Queen's Park and at Parliament Hill, and she is on the Board of Directors of Citizens With Disabilities Ontario. Sinead wants to continue her work to improve service dog laws in Ontario, and to work towards greater public awareness and education about service dogs and the duties they perform.

Unstoppable Tracy has shared the stage with Jane Fonda, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Mark Whalberg and more! Unstoppable Tracy awarded first place at a Top 1% International Motivational Mega Speaker conference of thousands. She is the winner of the 2017 Robert W. Jackson Award [Founder of the Canadian Paralympics], 2017 Ontario Premier Awards winner and 2018 Women of Essence Global Award Nominee and as seen on CBC, NBC, and FOX! 

Oprah Magazine shared her story as Quest for the Gold World Cup Sailor, who climbed Himalayan mountains, captained 110-foot-tall ship, won paraskiing bronze and funny too. 

Unstoppable Tracy was born a 4-way amputee. She is an award winning Leader in business and in sport, Humanitarian, Advocate, Decorated Athlete, International Speaker delivering the Lim[b]itless Secret. Now she adds best selling author to her long list of amazing accomplishments. Cup of Chicken Soup for the Soul endorsed her upcoming book ‘Unstoppable YOU; Exceed Uncertainty, Embrace Possibilities, Earn Independence’.

Tracy doesn't just talk high performance in business...she lives it. As Corporate Consultant while at Air Canada (AC) and Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) she worked simultaneously with management and unions over the competing demands of airline bankruptcy looming and pharmaceutical reform to facilitating restructuring plans that enabled AC and SDM to maintain their high standards out performing the stock market providing numerous award-winning training programs. Tracy was sought after for the Planning and Integration of the Pan Am and Parapan Am games in which she supported the largest most successful games ever.
 

Gisele has an active life as a mother, social worker, and volunteer for various organizations. She counts biking, swimming, working out, and playing the piano as her favorite hobbies.

As a child, Gisele dreamed of becoming an Olympic diver. While practicing some diving maneuvers on a trampoline, she landed improperly on her back and damaged her spinal cord. After surgery, the surgeons weren’t optimistic about her recovery, but through hard work and determination Gisele regained 95% of her mobility. 

 Gisele continued to enjoy water activities and wrote a book on pre-natal aquatics.
 

Sylvie believes a person’s ability to succeed comes from within. She was born with retinoblastoma, a cancerous tumour on the retina of her eye. He right eye was removed when she was five months old, and she has a visual residue of less than 10% in her left eye.

Sylvie always knew she was different from other kids, but her parents encouraged her to pursue her goals and believe in her dreams. She always lived alongside sighted individuals, obtaining visual supports to assist with her studies and employment.

Today, she is completing a Master’s degree, with research relating to persons with visual disabilities. She has two daughters and is also a grandparent. She feels we can all learn to look at life through the eyes of the heart.

Blake doesn’t let using a wheelchair define who he is. He lives life to the fullest, pursuing his passions – sports, farming, and the outdoors. He’s also exploring the workforce.

As a teenager, he spent many weekends with friends fixing up his old truck. On a drive one afternoon, Blake lost control, hitting the ditch. The vehicle rolled, placing Blake in a coma and leaving him with paraplegia. 

In spite of these challenges, Blake doesn’t believe in giving up – or giving in.
 

Heather knows what it’s like to defy expectations. After a car accident resulted in paraplegia at age six, many people assumed she wouldn’t have a good life and would never finish school, get a job, or have a family.

She proved them wrong. She has a Master of Science degree, and is a decorated Paralympic athlete, coach for Team Canada, published author, wife, and mother.

She loves to give back to her community and is involved with organizations including the Canada Games Foundation and the Saskatoon Food Bank. She tries to find time for her passions: cooking, swimming, and doing yoga.
 

Natasha is passionate about the Arts and is currently majoring in Theatre at the University of Regina.

After she graduated from high school, Natasha was a model and aspiring actress. She worked on furthering her career and looked forward to making money and living on her own.
One night, Natasha was in the back seat of a car, when the driver suddenly sped around a corner too fast and crashed. Natasha sustained a spinal cord injury, leaving her with quadriplegia.

Despite her injury, Natasha continues to work hard to achieve her dreams.

Terri was diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.  Her condition gradually caused quadriplegia which she has had to learn to adjust to.

Terri works as the community coordinator at the Tetra Society of North America in Regina, which makes customized assistive devices that are not on the market for people with disabilities and for seniors.  These devices are free for clients who have financial difficulties and enhance quality of life.

Passionate about social justice issues such as disability rights, poverty, and Indigenous rights, Terri enjoys helping people improve their lives.  Adopting two children from Romania has inspired her to make a difference in the world. Today, she actively volunteers with many organizations representing people with disabilities.