I have had the honour and pleasure of being a part a part of the Paralympic movement for the past 15 years. I have competed in three Paralympic Games (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008), and multiple other international competitions including the Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and the Para Pan American Games.
The growth in the awareness and recognition around the Paralympics since I began to compete has been incredible. I was born missing my right leg, but growing up I had never heard of the Paralympics. I loved being involved in sports but I never dreamed I would ever be able to compete on the world stage. I competed in my first Paralympic Games in 2000 and the support and enthusiasm from the people of Sydney was overwhelming. I came home with five gold medals but despite my success, I was still doing more education of the Paralympics than celebrating my accomplishments.
The popularity and awareness around the Paralympic Games has grown considerably. Paralympic sport has become mainstream sport and Paralympic athletes are being recognized as the high performance, elite athletes they are. We first saw a jump in the popularity of the Paralympics in Vancouver when we hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2010. The London Games in 2012 was a real game changer in the amount of coverage shown worldwide, and the most recent Games in Sochi once again brought the level of Paralympic sport to a whole new level.
The growth of the Paralympic Movement has an impact that goes way beyond the scope of sport. The coverage of the Paralympics Games not only creates a platform for education and a greater understanding of disability, but also changes the perception of all people for what is possible with the right attitude.
The International Paralympic Committee describes the Paralympics as not just a sporting event, but also the opportunity to make a significant impact on a host country's attitude. I saw that in Sochi. And while I feel fortunate to live in Canada, a country that is a world leader when it comes to accessibility and inclusion, we still have room for improvement. Four million Canadians report living with a disability, but only three percent of them are involved in sport. This is a shocking number, but it also means we have an incredible opportunity. Making sure that everyone has access to lead a healthy, active life and participate in sport can positively change lives. I have experienced it myself, and witnessed it in others.
But we can't do this alone. Financial support from corporate sponsors for the Canadian Paralympic Committee, such as CIBC and Pfizer, is crucial.
I am proud to be a part of CIBC Team Next, a program supporting 67 young Canadian athletes in hopes of representing Canada for the Pan/Parapan American Games in Toronto 2015, Olympic/Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, and beyond. There is no doubt that high performances athletes need financial support to achieve their dreams, but more importantly they need role models. I would not have become the athlete or person I am today without mentorship, and I am honored to be supporting our next generation of Canadian athletes.
In order to make changes to our lives, we first need to see what is possible. We brought the highest level of Para-athletes from across the world to Canada for the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver. We will once again host the world's best athletes for the 2015 Parapan American Games and will show Canadians parasport like they have never seen before.