Anyone with a disability is able to participate in parasport. Disabilities range from visual, spinal, amputee, intellectual, hearing impaired, and stature.
The sports included boccia, goal ball, judo, archery, athletics, cycling, swimming, power lifting, seven-a-side football, sitting volleyball, basketball, rugby, and table tennis.
Polio is included in the spinal category.What Canadian participating in the ParaPan-Am Games was disabled from polio?
Sonja Gaudet had a spinal cord injury after falling off a horse. She is from B.C. After her injury, she went to Rick Hansen who helped her deal with her disability.
Several para-athletes became disabled through a farm accident. Others were born with their disability such as Tess Routliffe who competed as a dwarf and won gold for Canada in the swimming category.
Regardless of whether an athlete won gold or not, I think they are all CHAMPIONS!