B.C. Paralympian calls it quits after multiple international wins
CBC
Greg Stewart has been a big name in the Canadian athletic world for over two decades, and now he has decided to retire.
He grew up in Kamloops in B.C.'s Interior, competing at a high school level before playing basketball and volleyball at the university level at Thompson Rivers University.
Stewart was born without the lower part of his left arm, but his mom Leanne Stewart says he never let that slow him down.
"There honestly hasn't been a whole lot that Greg can't do. He had a motto of 'the one-arm man can.'"
Stewart has gone on to compete and win at an international level. Beyond the most recent gold medal at the Toyko Paralympics, he won silver at both the 2019 IPC World Championships and Parapan American Games, among other significant finishes.
This week, he took to social media to say he was stepping away from competition.
Stewart spoke to Daybreak Kamloops host Doug Herbert about his decision.
The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length.
What led to this big decision to retire from competition?
To be honest with you, it was a pretty easy decision. When you don't have passion for something anymore, it's a fairly easy question to answer and honestly, when you finish on top, it's a pretty unique place to be.
I just was at this place where I'm like, 'I just don't have passion for it.' I think I created something that not many people get the opportunity to, and I like to leave it there and focus on things that I am more passionate about.
Did you second guess yourself along the way as you made this decision or was it, you just knew in your heart?
I'm pretty sure I knew in my heart shortly after the games back in August-September. The drive wasn't there, the will to want to compete.
I've been doing it for so long, and now that drive to better myself every day and everything like that at a competitive sports level. It's still there for like work purposes and life purposes, but just not so much in the athletic realm of life.
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