A New Brunswicker is among a team of seven para cyclists heading to Paris.
It’ll be the first Paralympics for 27-year-old Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis.
In 2012, when he was just 16 years old, Hayward broke his neck during a triple-A hockey game.
He began playing wheelchair basketball competitively and took up cycling during the pandemic.
Hayward won four medals last fall at the 2023 Parapan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.
“Since being introduced to Para sport as a competitive 15-year-old who’d just had his life turned upside down by a hockey injury, the goal of one day representing Canada at the Paralympics immediately played a huge role in my life,” said Hayward.
“The feeling of fulfilling that dream 12 years later is hard to put into words and to be heading there with the realistic goal of returning with a medal is a huge cherry on top.”
Qualification slots for Canada for the Games were earned through cumulated results at world championships and World Cup events in 2023 and 2024.
The Paralympics will be held from August 28 to September 8.
The other six para cyclists are:
Nathan Clement – West Vancouver, BC
Charles Moreau – Victoriaville, QC
Kate O’Brien – Calgary, AB
Mel Pemble – Victoria, BC
Mike Sametz – Calgary, AB
Keely Shaw – Midale, SK
