Born without a right leg and hip, nobody has to tell former swim great Stephanie Dixon about overcoming barriers. She did just that in being inducted into the Greater Victoria, University of Victoria and Canadian sports halls of fame.
But even Canadian team chef de mission Dixon says the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, conducted a year later than scheduled, was an ordeal unlike any other. The 128-member Canadian team, with 10 athletes from the Island, was resilient, with a 19th-ranked 21 medals, of which five were gold.
鈥淭he year and months leading up to these Games were some of the most challenging ever with the uncertainty, lack of competition opportunities, travel and COVID restrictions,鈥� said Dixon, winner of 19 Paralympic medals, including seven golds and 10 silvers, over Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
鈥淗aving to adapt their training, and just to make it to Tokyo, was a remarkable accomplishment. Even so, we saw so many wonderful performances, including podiums, personal bests, lessons learned, and forward gains.鈥�
Wheelchair racer Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que., who won four silver medals, carried the flag for sa国际传媒 in the closing ceremony.
鈥淥ver the past 12 days, each athlete on the Canadian Paralympic team has poured their heart into their performances, with so much passion, resilience, and dedication,鈥� said Dixon, who also won numerous national medals in able-bodied meets during her legendary career with the University of Victoria Vikes.
Sunday鈥檚 closing ceremony, which not only closed the book on the delayed Paralympics but also the Tokyo Olympics held before them, was emotionally resonant, as it had every right to be considering what organizers and athletes alike had gone through to get to this point.
鈥淥ur long journey is now coming to an end,鈥� said Seiko Hashimoto, president of Tokyo 2020, during the closing ceremony in a stadium devoid of fans.
鈥淚 believe it was the indomitable spirit of all those who have overcome difficulty that shone so brilliantly on this stage.
鈥淲e will use this brilliance to illuminate our road to further recovery.鈥�
Island highlights included Nate Riech鈥檚 gold medal and fellow Victorian Liam Stanley鈥檚 fifth place in the T37-T-38 men鈥檚 1,500 metres, UVic student Zachary Gingras鈥� bronze medal in the T38 men鈥檚 400 metres and Victoria triathlete Jessica Tuomela鈥檚 fifth place in the women鈥檚 visually-impaired triathlon. Four-time Paralympian and Canadian wheelchair rugby team co-captain Trevor Hirschfield of Parksville, an Oceanside hockey prospect before a van accident, likely closed out his laudatory Paralympics career with fifth place in Tokyo following bronze at Beijing in 2008, silver at London in 2012 and fourth place at Rio in 2016.
While 37-year-old Hirschfield is near the end of his career, another Parksville athlete introduced himself to the world as sa国际传媒鈥檚 youngest athlete competing in the Paralympics. Seventeen-year-old swimmer Nicholas Bennett, out of the Ravensong Breakers club of Qualicum Beach, made three finals in Tokyo and set four national records in the process as he laid the foundation for Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028.
鈥淢y experience at the Games has been wonderful. I was stoked just to be here,鈥� said Bennett, who sent a shout-out to those following him back on the Island.
鈥淚 just want to say to my family and friends who have been watching me from home at 1 a.m., thank-you so much. It鈥檚 made my spirits so much better.鈥�
A case could be made that all the performances in the Tokyo Paralympics, and Olympics, lifted a lot of spirits at a time when the world needed it.
