Essex sledge hockey Paralympian going for gold in Beijing
CBC
No one anticipates a tragic accident. Sledge hockey forward Zach Lavin certainly didn't, especially one that changed his life forever and set him on course for Olympic gold.
Born and raised in Essex County, Lavin is on Canada's Paralympic team in Beijing and is getting ready to play Tuesday night, the second game in the series.
He never would have imagined it six years ago when he was able bodied. Lavin had been hiking in the Rocky Mountains when he got lost for two days.
When RCMP officers found Lavin, he had suffered extreme frostbite on both his hands and feet and was severely dehydrated. His hands made a "full recovery," but both feet had to be amputated.
Lavin then did the unthinkable. Inspired by the community around him, he decided to re-enter the world of athletics for the first time since high school. Enter Sledge Hockey.
"I found this sport very difficult at first. It's not intuitive," Lavin said over the phone from Beijing Monday. "Once I was out of the hospital, I devoted five, six days a week for the past five years to dial it in so I could become a part of this team …and help out the boys.
"A big thing for me was reaching out to mentors, and trying to learn from how they went through a similar circumstance and how I could model my life after what they'd done."
Lavin is grateful for his upbringing in Essex County, citing the support of his family life in Ontario being mirrored by the camaraderie on his team now. He's also grateful he can represent the history of the Paralympics.
"I've played at World's tournaments and international tournaments before, but this one's big. Wearing that maple leaf with guys who have survived cancer…and war heroes…it's pretty unreal."
Team Canada plays South Korea Monday and Tuesday. Catch the game right here on CBC.
"We definitely did not start off the tournament the way we were hoping to, but we still have a really good chance of competing for that gold medal," Lavin said about the first game loss.
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