Athletes with a Disability

Para Archery in Disability Games 2009
2009 marks the second year of participation of Para Archery in the Games.
In 2007 Archery enjoyed Demonstration sport status with the Visually Impaired. In BC Para Archery is just taking starting to be offered in a few areas.
Abbotsford, Kimberly and Quesnel / Prince George have a few participates of a wide range of abilities, and hoping to add to the numbers.
British Columbia can boost that the defending World IPC Target Archer lives here. Kevin Evans of Jaffery, BC has participated at the World level for several years and this year will travel to Nymberg, Czech Republic to defend that title. Kevin lost his left arm in a work related accident, he was a member of the Canadian national team that won the team Bronze in Korea last year.
For more info on Para Archery and where you can try it, contact the Disabled Athlete's Chairperson click,

Billy T., the mascot for the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows 2009 Disability Games, has been making appearances around the two communities to let people know the games are coming here in July, including a recent Pitt Meadows council meeting.
The focus of the games, which will be held from July 22 to July 26, is to celebrate the courage, achievement, determination and spirit of people with disabilities, according to the games' president Anita Perler.

This is the second time the games will be held in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows - they were last held here in 1992. The games will feature sports adapted to people with disabilities: archery, badminton, bowling, disc golf equestrian, golf, kayaking, lawn bowling, sailing, sit volleyball, soccer, swimming and wheelchair dance.

Four hundred participants are expected to come to the games. On April 17, the 100- day kick-off event is scheduled with a wheelchair torch relay from Pitt Meadows to Maple Ridge. Festivities begin in Pitt Meadows from 1 p.m. to 2:30 and continue in Memorial Peace Park from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. This will also be the official opening of the Spirit Square in Pitt Meadows.

Susan Lemke

2007 Disability Games Pics
Pictures from archery in the Powell River 2007 Disability Games click

2009 BC Disability Games
July 22-26, 2009
Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows with archery included.

Feel the Rush
Paralympic Sport www.feeltherush.ca

3D Access for Wheelchair Athletes
See the article in the May-June, 2008 issue of the BC Archer describing how the Comox, BC archery club made some of its targets accessible to wheelchair archers - page 9. Victoria Bowmen has done something similar.