Para Sports at 2014 Commonwealth Games

Source: Wikipedia.org

UPDATE: In the final days, the para athletes won two more medals from Diane Roy and Alex Dupont taking home silver and bronze in their respective wheelchair racing events. It was great to see more para medal events were included in this years Commonwealth Games, I hope it continues to grow in the future.

Source: Canadian Paralympic Committee Facebook Page

The 2014 Commonwealth Games started one week ago on July 23rd and will end on August 3rd in Glasgow, Scotland. This is the 20th Commonwealth Games and it runs every four years just like the Olympics, it features 71 countries from the Commonwealth nations competing in 18 sports. In these games, the para sports are integrated with the rest of the competitions. Glasgow is featuring the most para sports medals ever in Commonwealth history with 22 medals (at the 2010 games there were only 15 medals) in 5 sports, including Athletics, Swimming, Weightlifting, Lawn Bowl (similar to Boccia), and for the first time Track Cycling.

Team Canada is led by the Chef de Mission, Chantal Petitclerc who is a 14 time Paralympic champion in Wheelchair Racing.

Source: CBC.ca

Team Canada will be represented by 10 para sports athletes:

Athletics: Josh Cassidy (Ottawa, Ont.), Diane Roy (Sherbrooke, Que.), Alexandre Dupont (Bradwell, Sask.)
Swimming: Morgan Bird (Calgary, Alta.), Aurélie Rivard (Montreal, Que), Katarina Roxon (Kippens, N.L.)
Lawn Bowls: Heather Hanett (Calgary, Alta.) and guide Susan Acorn (Calgary, Alta.), Al Hanet (Kelowna, B.C.) and guide Viola Hanet (Kelowna, B.C.)

The first medal won by a para athlete at this years Commonwealth games is Aurélie Rivard of Montreal, Que, winning bronze in the women's 200m individual medley SM10.

Source: Canadian Paralympic Committee Facebook Page

You can watch it online or on television through CBC.

Volunteer Now for the 2015 Pan and ParaPan Am Games! #WeArePanAm

It was two weekends ago since the one year kick off for the 2015 Pan and Parapan Am Games in GTA! I was volunteering on both Friday and Saturday, with day two being the highlight because it was more eventful as I was at the ParaSport Ontario booth where I played boccia and watched the mascots hilariously play sitting volleyball. Being part of the One Year Celebration at Nathan Phillips Square and the energy made me excited for next year! I also realized that 5hrs/day outdoors is exhausting for me (maybe something with some indoor time would be less exhausting).

The 2015 Pan and Parapan Am Games is on the lookout for more volunteers! You could be part of GTA's history! Find out more and to register here.

ParaSport Ontario is always looking for more people to try out accessible sports. You can check out what's available in your area here.

2014 Power Hockey Cup Finals!

Day 4 is the final day of the tournament with the championship and semi finals taking place.

Championship Game

In the championship game between the Philadelphia PowerPlay and the Minnesota Saints. It was a battle between the two top scoring teams. The PowerPlay got off to the quick start with a goal from Liam Miller scoring on the short side of Saints goalie Sarah Heinsch. However, Saints, Chad Wilson answered with two goals late in the first period for the 2-1 lead. The Saints would continue with more offence in the second period, scoring three more goals to take a commanding 5-1 lead midway through the game. But there was no quit in the young PowerPlay team, Jake Saxton would finish the period strong with two beautiful goals to cut the lead to 5-3 for the Saints after two periods. PowerPlay would pull within one at the nine minute mark in the third period for what would be an exciting finish in the finals! They would continue to put on pressure, but the Saints would hang on for their third consecutive championship. It was truly one of the most exciting PowerHockey Cup finals and the atmosphere was amazing.

Bronze Medal Game

In the all Canadian bronze medal game between the Ottawa Capitals and Calgary Selects, it was a very defensive battle. Calgary's Shawn Pahl would score two goals 50 seconds apart to give the Selects an early 2-0 lead, but the Capitals would answer with a goal of their own by Moses Yorke to cut the lead in half. It would be a scoreless second period. Ottawa would get into penalty trouble in the third period where Calgary would capitalize by scoring a power play goal to take a two goal lead and winning the bronze medal 3-1.

Consolation Games

In the fifth place game the Michigan Mustangs would dominate the Minnesota Selects 6-0. Toronto Lake Raiders would finish seventh with a 4-2 loss to the Michigan Mustangs while the Carolina Fury finishes in eighth place with a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Selects.

Final Thoughts

It was in my opinion, one of the best PowerHockey Cup tournaments in their six year history. There was tons of exciting games with lots of scoring. Every team was really close in terms of their competitive level. The organizers did a fantastic job with the live stream with very professional commentators. Having players as guest commentators was a nice touch. I look forward to the next PowerHockey Cup which will be hosted in Philadelphia in 2016!

http://powerhockeycup.com/

2014 Power Hockey Cup: Day 3 Quarter and Semi Finals Recap

Day 3 displayed intense battles in both the quarter and semi finals.

Quarter Finals

In a rematch of the 2010 and 2012 championship games, the Minnesota Saints faced off against the Michigan Mustangs. In the past two championship games the Saints took home the cup. Today's game was no different with the Saints winning a wild 4-3 game. Kevin Konfara of the Mustangs and Chad Wilson of the Saints scored three goals for their teams.

In the second quarter finals game, Philadelphia PowerPlay won 9-3 over the Carolina Fury. It was a balanced offence for the PowerPlay with each forward amassing at least one point. The Fury was led by Jim Thompson scoring two goals.

In the third quarter finals game, it was the Battle of Ontario! Where the Ottawa Capitals defeated the Toronto Lake Raiders 4-2 in a penalty filled game (24 minutes in total between both teams). Moses Yorke and Johnson Wilson scored two goals each for the Capitals while Saverio Romano and Jeremy Schofield responded with one a piece. Meghan Hines of the Lake Raiders played an excellent defensively keeping her team in the game.

In the final quarter finals game, it was a defensive battle where Calgary Selects won 2-1 in overtime against the Minnesota Selects. It was a truly exciting game where Minnesota tied the game with two minutes left in regulation time to force the overtime on a power play goal from Chris Kram. In the end, Ben Thorne of Calgary was the hero in this game scoring with less than three left in overtime to win the game.

Semi Finals

In the first semi finals, it was Ottawa Capitals against the Minnesota Saints. The first period started off with the Saints scoring early and the Capitals answered quickly with a goal from Moses Yorke. The Capitals had early chances in the second, however the Saints took over from there to win 8-1 to advance to their third consecutive PowerHockey Cup finals.

The second semi finals featured a young team in the Philadelphia PowerPlay against a veteran squad Calgary Selects. The Selects got off to a great start with two goals from Mike Falconer to lead after two periods. In the third period the Selects got into penalty trouble which gave the PowerPlay an opportunity where the capitalized on to cut lead in half. And with 1:24 to go in the third, the PowerPlay completed their comeback with a thrilling goal by Liam Miller to force overtime. With momentum on PowerPlay's side, their star player Jake Saxton scored in overtime to send them to their first ever PowerHockey Cup finals!

Will the defending champions Minnesota Saints win their third title? Or will the young guns Philadelphia PowerPlay be crowned the new champions? You'll have to tune in tomorrow for:

• Consolation Games: 10:00AM CDT (11:00AM EST)
• Bronze medal Game: 5:00PM CDT (6:00PM EST) 
• Championship Game: 7:00PM CDT (8:00PM EST)

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

2014 Power Hockey Cup: Day 2 Recap

Day 2 at the 2014 PowerHockey Cup provided amazing games to wrap up pool play with each team playing twice.

Pool A consists of Calgary Selects, Carolina Fury, Toronto Lake Raiders, and hosts Minnesota Saints.

Calgary Selects played Toronto and Carolina, showing dominance in their 10-1 and 7-2 victories respectively. In the first game against Toronto, Mike Falconer scored six goals and Nathan Grossklaus scored two and assisted six. In the second game against Carolina, Shawn Pahl scored a hat trick. Calgary will now play Minnesota Selects in the quarter finals.

Carolina Fury played Calgary and Minnesota. In the first game they lost 7-2 to Calgary. George Silvey scored his second and third goals of the tournament. In the second game, they played a strong game in the 5-3 loss with a hat trick by Jim Thompson. The goalie Jonathan Greeson was great in net once again. Carolina will play Philadelphia in the quarter finals.

Toronto Lake Raiders played Calgary and Minnesota. In the first game they lost a tough 10-1 game to Calgary. Jerry Mariano scored his first goal of the tournament and Leo Xu played like a beast even with the lop-sided loss. The second game they loss 7-3 to Minnesota, Saverio scored two goals.

Minnesota Saints played Toronto and Carolina. In the first game they played great against Toronto winning 7-3, led by their top player Chad Wilson with five goals and one assist. In the second game Minnesota came back in an edged the Carolina Fury 5-3 led by Chad Wilson with three goals and two assists. Minnesota will now play Michigan Mustangs in the quarter finals.

Pool B consists of Philadelphia PowerPlay, Ottawa Capitals, Michigan Mustangs, and Minnesota Selects.

Philadelphia PowerPlay played Minnesota and Ottawa, playing two strong games winning 10-7 and 6-1 respectively. In the first game, they fended off a late comeback by Minnesota. Once again Jake Saxton, their star player, scored an astounding seven goals and three assists. In the second game Jake continued his offensive number with three goals and three assists. They've been fun to watch with their tremendous speed and teamwork. They will be playing Carolina Fury in the quarter finals.

Ottawa Capitals played Michigan and Philadelphia. In the first game, they won 6-4 led by Mohammed Awad with a hat trick and two assists and Moses Yorke with a another hat trick and an assist. In my opinion it was the best game of the tournament so far. In the second game, they battled Philadelphia for first place in their pool but lost 6-1 with the lone goal scored by Moses Yorke. Ottawa will now face Toronto Lake Raiders in the quarter finals.

Michigan Mustangs played two really close games against Ottawa and Minnesota losing 6-4 in both matches. Kevin Konfora scored four goals in both games and goalie Dean Olivas was solid. Michigan will now face Minnesota Saints which will be a great game in the quarter finals because these two teams were the finalists in the 2010 and 2012 PowerHockey Cup opponents.

Minnesota Selects played Philadelphia and Michigan. In the first game they nearly came back in the third period to loose 10-7 led by veteran Chris Kram with five goals and one assist, and Jacob Ritter with two goals and three assists. In the second game, they won 6-4 led by Chris Kram with a hat trick and an assist, and Lucas Braun with two goals and an assist. Goalie Marty Braun played an amazing game. It was former player, Craig McClellan's first win as a coach! Minnesota will now face Calgary Selects in the quarter finals.

Don't miss tomorrow's action starts at 11:00AM CDT (12:00PM EST) with the Minnesota Saints vs. Michigan Mustangs. You can watch the game below!

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

2014 Power Hockey Cup: Day 1 Recap

It was an exciting opening day of the 2014 PowerHockey Cup in St. Paul Minnesota! This tournament brings together 8 teams and 80 players from across North America.

There were four games played today. The first game between Ottawa Capitals and host Minnesota Selects made for a great opening game of the tournament. Both teams played a great game, with the much improved Capitals team winning the game 3 to 1, led by Roddey Harb with two goals and one assist. It was a valiant effort by the Selects as most were playing in their first tournament.

The second game between the Toronto Lake Raiders and the Carolina Fury was dominated by Saverio Romano with three goals and one assist. George Silvey of the Fury scored the lone goal. Jonathan Greeson stood on his head in goal for the Fury, even though they lost 6 to 1.

The third game between the Michigan Mustangs and the Philadelphia PowerPlay where the PowerPlay shut out the Mustangs 4 to 0. One the youngest players in the tournament, Jake Saxton scored a hat trick, in his first tournament game. Both goalies Dean Olivas and Erin Gordon were solid in net.

The final game between the defending champs, Minnesota Saints and the Calgary Selects played a tight game with the Saints winning 3 to 1. Chad Wilson of the Saints once again dominated with two goals and one assist. Shawn Pahl of the Selects scored the lone goal for the selects. The Selects goalie Jeff Barrett kept his team in the game.

UPDATE: Chris Lemieux of Michigan Mustangs provides his take on their first game of the tournament.

"Michigan got shut out on Monday as they fell to the defending United States champion Philadelphia Poweplay 4-0. Philly came out strong to take 2-0 lead in the first period and held the lead through the 3rd when as they led 3-0 Michigan pulled their goalie to make a push to score but Jake Saxton scored an empty net goal to seal the win 4-0."

Don't miss tomorrow's action starts at 10:00AM CDT (11:00AM EST) with the Toronto Lake Raiders vs. Calgary Selects. You can watch the game below!


Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Chair Yoga Pose to Start Your Week off Strong! – Side Stretch

Welcome to the first chair yoga pose! I will be posting a new pose for you every other Monday to start your week off strong!

Side Stretch

1. Sit with your back off chair & feet firmly on ground or foot pedals (if in wheelchair)
2. Bring your left arm down & your right arm should be stretched up in air
3. Inhale, stretch to left, ONLY as far as you can, making sure right arm is now over head (if you need stability, you can hold onto left side of chair)
4. Exhale, drop right arm down, slowly come up, give yourself a few breaths
5. Then repeat to right (same instructions as above)

Repeat on each side 2-3 times

Benefits of this pose - makes body more supple, gives your sides a nice stretch, and wakes up your core.

You can read about my experience with chair yoga here.

Chair Yoga???

Source: Easierliving.com

I had never heard of Chair Yoga until about 6 months ago... but I'm so glad my neighbour introduced me to it!

I now teach Chair Yoga at our local fitness facility, I teach every Wednesday, but this does not mean it's the only time I practice it.

As Chair Yoga is done sitting down, you can take time out from computer work, do it while you're watching T.V. and even outside!

I am in a wheelchair and many might think, wheelchair? Well you CAN'T do anything then... Yes you can still exercise, it has made me more aware of my breathing and made my life meaningful. Again, not only is it great for those in wheelchairs, but it's wonderful for anyone; problem's getting down on the floor, or up off the floor? No worries here!

You may think it's more for the elderly, that's just not the case, the positions can mostly be modified for people who are more flexible and for those who aren't... BUT you're in a chair, how can you possibly be exercising? BELIEVE me you are, there are numerous times after Chair Yoga, that I feel my muscles or body more than before!

If you are looking for a different alternative or something you can do at work, home, on a long plane trip etc. CHAIR YOGA is the exercise for you!!!

Stay tuned as Julie Z will be sharing Chair Yoga poses with you once every two weeks to start your week off strong :)

1 Year to Go #WeArePanAm

Source: Wikipedia.org

It's one year until the big Parapan and Pan Am Games in Toronto! There will be a countdown festival this Friday and Saturday at Nathan Phillips Square with Walk off the Earth performing FREE on Friday, July 11.

I will be there representing the Pan Am Games during the countdown festival on both days, if you come out to the celebrations look for me and say hi!

Full schedule of the two days celebrations here.

Wimbledon Wheelchair Tennis Champions Crowned!

Source: Celebmafia.com

Most people are aware that the Canadians made history with the first male Canadian to make the semi-finals, Milos Raonic. Then Eugennie Bouchard, the first female makes the finals and losing to Petra Kvitova. And finally Vasek Pospisil won the doubles finals with his American partner Jack Sock. What a weekend for Canada!

Did you know that Wheelchair Tennis is also at Wimbledon? The sport will be in the 2015 Parapan Am in Toronto and 2016 Paralympics in Rio!

Check out the highlights of the ladies and men's doubles finals.