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(Executive Director of the Manitoba Wheelchair Sports Association, https://mwsa.ca) Peter has been a Rotarian since 1999 and a member of Charleswood Rotary Club since 2003. He retired about 3 years ago as a lawyer for Legal Aid Manitoba. Since then, he started his own consulting company and recently took on the role of Executive Director of the Manitoba Wheelchair Sports Association, which has existed since in 1969. Winnipeg was one of the first in the country to get people in the disability community to play sports. The Association has four key components – Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby, Wheelchair Tennis and a Schools program. Peter described as well as he could each of those programs. However, one can observe several wheelchair sports that Peter described in the following links: Wheelchair Basketball https://youtu.be/0RWvXzYKoHM (The camber in the wheels of the wheelchairs used in Wheelchair Basketball plays a key role in being able to do picks and rolls and all the moves of basketball. The good basketball players are able to turn their chair around in its own space. The Under 17s program is a large part of Wheelchair Basketball. Wheelchair Tennis https://youtu.be/uKTdxygcat4 The wheelchairs for tennis are quite similar to Basketball wheelchairs (very low and stable), set up with 4 tiny wheels in the front, 2 tiny wheels in the back to keep the chair from tipping over. The only difference between wheelchair tennis and regular tennis is that the player in the chair is allowed two bounces of the ball instead of one. The Schools program introduces students in high schools and junior high schools to wheelchair sports. This involves visiting schools with a van loaded with sports wheelchairs and encouraging students to try out the different sports. Wheelchair Rugby https://youtu.be/tSzFmlWgVsM This is Peter’s favorite sport. It’s played in a gymnasium and the ball is round like a volley ball because in wheelchair rugby, you must bounce the ball after so many seconds (whereas in regular Rugby, you must pass the ball after so many seconds). Peter feels that this game is the greatest stress reliever in the world. The wheelchairs have a steel frame in the front, a steel frame in the back, the wheels are made of steel, have a steel cover and are designed to run into each other. You’re not allowed to grab and hold, but you are allowed to reach in and grab the ball from the opponent. Wheelchair Fencing - World and Paralympic Champion Bebe Vio https://youtu.be/j9oV8a6tnQs and https://youtu.be/-W7Bek4jvos (trailer to the Netflix documentary called “Rising Phoenix”). The Association is talking about bringing wheelchair fencing to Manitoba. Here, the two sport chairs are bolted to a platform and set up so that the person with the shortest arms can reach their opponent. It has been described to Peter as “a knife fight in a telephone booth”. Even though it’s literally a sword fight where you can’t run away, Peter is not aware of anyone who has been hurt in this sport. The Manitoba Wheelchair Sports Associations office is located in the Sports Manitoba building, which was supposed to have lots of free storage for equipment of the various sports but lacks space for the sport wheelchairs and is now charging for storing equipment. In the discussion that followed, we learned that - Peter works out in his own gym almost every day.
- Every para-athlete in a sport has a category or ranking number (based on their disability) and to make things fair, a team’s maximum number on the court is specified.
- Peter is a high point player in Wheelchair Rugby
- The height of the basket in Wheelchair Basketball is at the same level as regular basketball.
- There’s not much Wheelchair Curling happening in Winnipeg, and when there was such a wheelchair sport it was never under the auspices of Manitoba Wheelchair Sports Association.
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