From a first push to the pinnacle of sport, BC Wheelchair Sports helps support athletes with physical disabilities get involved in sport, find community and chase their dreams. 24 year old Joel Ewert is looking forward to turning a dream into reality when he travels to his first Paralympic Games as part of the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Team.

Joel got involved in wheelchair sports at a young age in his hometown of Prince George, and often travelled to the Lower Mainland to participate in BCWSA’s Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp where he tried out several sports and made new friends.

It was at one of these camps where Joel was introduced to Wheelchair Rugby and realized what could be possible in this exciting sport for people with disabilities like his own.

“As a kid growing up with a disability and playing a lot of sports. my dream wasn’t to go to the NHL or to play baseball. It was go to a Paralympics. When I tried rugby, I fell in love with it and realized this is a sport I could see myself succeeding in.”

Joel made the provincial team at 15, getting the opportunity to become teammates with Paralympians and stars of the sport like Trevor Hirschfield and Byron Green. Learning lessons and observing the habits and work ethic necessary to turn his dream into a reality.

“The nice thing about parasport is you’re often closer to national team athletes and Paralympians; you get to meet your heroes at a young age. So to have the opportunity to be coached and guided by Trevor Hirschfield and Byron Green all the way through and to get to compete with them is great. They’ve really helped raise the standard of my own expectations.

Thanks to BC Wheelchair Sports, Joel had access to that formative coaching and ongoing support to travel from Prince George to Vancouver to attend training camps and competitions. BCWSA also provided access to custom-fit rugby wheelchairs that allowed him to compete at his best and chase his dream.“Having chairs that are set up for an athlete is crucial to their experience and continuing in sport. If you don’t have the right chair, it’s like running in shoes that are three sizes too big.”

With access to quality coaching and the right equipment in place, it was up to Joel to control the rest of his destiny, working hard on the court and in the gym to improve his skills and strength and make a push to break into the National Team.

“It’s been a whirlwind in the last year, and it really takes to you back to those earlier practices and got me thinking about all the work I’ve put in without knowing where it was going to lead.”

Now after a breakthrough and busy 2024 during which he helped Team Canada qualify for the ParalympIc Games, he’s getting ready to head to Paris and compete for a place on the podium with plenty of supporters behind him.

“I keep thinking back to all the people who have helped me along the way, there’s been so many who have helped me, and I know that they’ll be cheering for me in Paris”

This includes people like you, whose donations to BCWSA helped provide resources that enabled Joel to build a strong athletic foundation and develop in a community that’s supported him from his first rugby camp all the way to the Paralympic Games. By supporting BCWSA, you’re helping athletes like Joel chase his dreams, and the next Joel to discover their own.