Physically-disabled athelete Rich VanderWal speaks at York about the Paralympics
Lewis Chaitov
Staff Writer
With the London Olympics in 2012 and the Pan American Games soon to be in Toronto in 2015, York’s head volleyball coach, Wally Dyba, invited Rich VanderWal to be a guest speaker at his kinesiology class.
Many people don’t realize these two major events are followed by two equally prestigious competitions: the Paralympic Games and Pan/Parapan Games. These events bring athletes with physical disabilities from around the world to participate at all levels.
Since a spinal cord injury left him paraplegic 17 years ago, VanderWal has become widely recognized for his involvement in therapeutic recreation for people with many types of physical disabilities. He is very involved with the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing Ontario, the Canadian Paraplegic Association’s Peer Support Program, as well as the Ontario Sports Association. His teaching ability as well as his life experience makes him an inspiration to anyone who sees him speak.
Wanting to become an educator of the physically and psychologically handicapped, VanderWal has worked vigilantly and travelled to many schools over the years to spread awareness.
“Para sport is the ideal means of physical activity,” says VanderWal. “It gives a person a sense of accomplishment, it increases their social awareness. And most important it promotes their involvement in the community and in turn it gets the community involved in all disability groups. […] Individuals with a disability have more sedentary time, at greater risk for health complications; they are less likely to get to get involved and participate less intensely.”
While a strong community makes the biggest difference, stresses VanderWal, para sport is about more than just getting involved. It gives disabled athletes a chance to compete, to prove themselves, and to work towards their dreams.
