Fewer sports but lots of pressure

It was great to hear that Joel Dembe and Philippe Bedard won a bronze medal in WC tennis yesterday. I have known both players since meeting them a few years ago while working in London at the Paralympics. I was at basketball so couldn't go watch the match. It's been a rough road for the last few months for Philippe who, due to a medical issue, was unable to play at all for 7 weeks until a few weeks ago. He was feeling quite apprehensive, as was his coach, due to the physical and mental deconditioning he was bringing to this competition. He didn't do as well as he wanted in singles, they had a great match in semis where they played many long exchanges and long sets to eventually enter the bronze medal match. As I'm writing this they are featured on CBC sports news this morning. I don't think they are asa rested as they would have liked as celebrations likely did not end early last night.....

The difference with being involved with team sports is you spend long hours only to find out your placement on the last days. Swimmers and athletics athletes have been raking up medals all week. WI get updates on my phone, as text messages, every time a Canadian athlete hits the podium. It beeps quite often as the pool has medal events daily throughout the day. I have been involved with both WC basketball teams and it is coming down to the big games. The women are playing USA for the gold medal tonight. The men are in semi-finals against Brazil this morning. If they win, they are playing for gold tomorrow. It is fascinating to be closely linked to these teams. Listening to coaches' advice and redirections at every practice and game. Refocusing the athletes as we face different challenges, different teams, different shooters and skills. It was an easy game last night when the women met Argentina in the semis. This might be nice as it is easy to get to the big game but it doesn't prepare the team with enough challenge to meet a fast skilled team as they will see against the US. The women rose to the challenge last year at the World Championships where, entering ranked 6th, they met each team face on and got themselves to the finals. Beating the Dutch and the Australians, the faced Germany, a powerful team who had beaten them 8 times that year already. Germany came to Winnipeg for a week to train with our team and play some friendly games as it is better than simply practicing all the time. They won 7 games in 6 days. Germany also won the game in the round robin. Canada beat them to win gold. The team will hopefully find their championship form and get what they came here for. It will be exciting.
I am thrilled that my family, Darlene and the 2 children Gabrielle and Lukas, are coming for these last 2 days. They will be at the women's final tonight, the men's medal rounds tomorrow and the Closing Ceremonies tomorrow. I' am really looking forward to seeing them again. It feels like I haven't seen them in so long but it has only been 2 weeks yesterday.

Tonight will also see another crazy match between Canada and USA in WC rugby. Since they went into 3 overtime a few nights ago, it will not be boring tonight at 9 pm.

I have included a few pics form football 7s from yesterday....or was it 2 days ago. I don't even remember which day it is lately. They all mix up.

Some people were asking: why call it football 7s? There are 2 types of football (...soccer) in parasports. 7s and 5s. 7s are, as you guessed, having 2 teams of 6 forwards and a goalkeeper. The classification of the sport typically has athletes with various levels of ability with cerebral palsy. Some athletes can be classified in the sport from persistent symptoms and signs from traumatic brain injuries. It was not an easy match to watch as Brazil faced Canada. I hear Brazil has 30 professional teams in their country! We have one amateur team. Many Brazilians had evident CP with disability focus mostly on their upper limbs. You can imagine the challenge when many of our athletes have not only upper but lower limbs deficits. Football is about handling the ball and running...the Brazilians were truly in another league.

Dr Darrelle Menard, having a little chat with our goal keeper. Stopping the ball with your face is not the best idea. He was fine

Beautiful venue, downtown at the University of Toronto

Football 5s is totally different. It is played by athletes who are visually impaired. It is the only sport, other than sailing, I have not witnessed at all the Parapan and Paralympic Games I have been part of. I would love to go and watch but Canada does not have a team so I haven't found the time to go and escape there for a match. The ball has a bell inside it, similar to goalball, and the pitch is boarded similar to a hockey rink. I will have to experience it and get you some firsthand details in a future blog....come back next year when I blog from the Rio Paralympics.

Now let's focus on WC Basketball.

Go Canada Go!!!