Pan Am / en Remembering the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games /news/remembering-toronto-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Remembering the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-11-02T04:03:11-05:00" title="Monday, November 2, 2015 - 04:03" class="datetime">Mon, 11/02/2015 - 04:03</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"> Shelley Gautier, Jason Wurster and Josh Binstock with former Lieutenant-Governor David Onley (at right) and members of Governing Council</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/michael-kurts" hreflang="en">Michael Kurts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Michael Kurts</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sports" hreflang="en">Sports</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/parapan-am-governing-council" hreflang="en">Parapan Am. Governing Council</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/athletes" hreflang="en">Athletes</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Looking back on a fantastic summer - already enjoying the legacy</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>It was a few months ago but the memories of the <a href="http://panam2015.utoronto.ca/">Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan&nbsp;Am Games</a> are still alive across the 91Թ and the entire GTA. &nbsp;</p> <p>The university’s Governing Council recently relived some incredible moments as athletes reflected on&nbsp;the legacy of the games.</p> <p>Four 91Թ athletes were on hand – three in person and one on video. &nbsp;</p> <p>91Թ alumnus <strong>Zack Chetrat</strong>, who won a bronze medal in the 200-metre butterfly, told governors competing close to home made the 2015 games an unforgettable experience.</p> <p>“On the night of my race, I looked up into the crowd and saw my entire family and all my friends,” said Chetrat, who spoke via video from the pool deck at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TPASC) on the UTSC campus. “To see a bunch of my teammates there, all wearing their 91Թ gear and cheering me on, was something very special.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7ToYPZmYuoY?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></p> <p><strong>Shelley Gautier</strong>, a 12-time Paracycling Road World Champion and a repeat silver medalist in the event this year (she also won silver at Guadalajara in 2011 and is training for next year’s Paralympics) showed off a picture of her medal. Her mother had the real thing and was getting it and all of her medals framed to occupy a prominent place in the family home.</p> <p>Pole vaulter <strong>Jason Wurster</strong>, whose games and summer were made particularly memorable by the arrival of a baby boy, and current world champion beach volleyball player <strong>Josh Binstock</strong>, who’s training for next year’s Olympics, talked about how exhilarating it was to play in front of a home town crowd – a rarity for athletes who regularly compete at venues around the world. &nbsp;</p> <p>Beyond the memories, one consistent theme was the importance of the legacy left behind by the 2015 games. &nbsp;</p> <p>“Most dramatically, we improved significantly the facilities for co-curricular sport, physical activity, recreation, health and wellness for members of our internal and external community,” said 91Թ President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong>, pointing to TPASC, the UTSC Tennis Centre, the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport and the Back Campus Fields. “These facilities are also conducive to better teaching, research and community engagement in sport as well as basic sciences, such as stress physiology and cell biology.”</p> <p>Former Lieutenant-Governor <strong>David Onley</strong>, was the university’s Special Ambassador to the games.</p> <p>“One of the most remarkable success stories from the Games was their integration,” said Onley. “They were fully accessible to all: to the athletes who came to Toronto to compete, to the spectators who came to cheer them on.”</p> <p>91Թ facilities were host to some of Canada’s best athletes – a fact confirmed by the medal count.&nbsp;At UTSC venues, Team Canada won 140 medals. The games also provided a venue for the university to welcome the Americas and the community. 91Թ Houses at UTSC and the downtown Toronto campus&nbsp;hosted almost 3700 guests over the course of the games. More than 20 91Թ athletes participated in the games. &nbsp;</p> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/tags/pan-am-0">Read more about the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games</a></h2> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-11-02-pan-am-gautier.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 02 Nov 2015 09:03:11 +0000 sgupta 7401 at Should Toronto's success at 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games translate into an Olympic bid? /news/should-torontos-success-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games-translate-olympic-bid <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Should Toronto's success at 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games translate into an Olympic bid?</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-09-14T07:01:25-04:00" title="Monday, September 14, 2015 - 07:01" class="datetime">Mon, 09/14/2015 - 07:01</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">91Թ's Rosie Maclennan holds gold medals from the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games and from the 2012 Olympic Games (photo by Jason Ranson/COC)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alan-christie" hreflang="en">Alan Christie</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Alan Christie</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/more-news" hreflang="en">More News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sport" hreflang="en">Sport</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/olympics" hreflang="en">Olympics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/2024" hreflang="en">2024</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Bruce Kidd: “It makes far more sense to go for 2028”</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The <a href="http://panam2015.utoronto.ca/">Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games</a> worked “marvellously well” and now is the time to follow up with concrete action, says Professor <strong>Bruce Kidd</strong>&nbsp;– but that does not include bidding for the 2024 Olympic Games.</p> <p>Kidd is the vice-president and principal of 91Թ Scarborough and a professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education.</p> <p>He’s also a former Olympic athlete and a member of the provincial bid committee that brought the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games to Toronto.</p> <p>In an interview with <em>91Թ News</em>, Kidd said that “from my perspective and experience, the Pan Am bid was initiated largely to address the woeful shortage of good athletic facilities for high performance athletes and others in Toronto.</p> <p>“Ontario had become the sick man of the Canadian sports system and study after study indicated an alarming deferred maintenance debt [on sports facilities]. The best athletes were leaving for other parts of the country or the U.S. and Europe to train.</p> <p>“The Pan Ams and Parapan Ams&nbsp;worked marvellously well and out of them <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/miltons-velodrome-torontos-west-don-lands-using-pan-amparapan-am-games-build-legacy">the Greater Golden Horseshoe got new or remarkably upgraded facilities</a>, from Welland to Minden.”</p> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/tags/pan-am-0">Read&nbsp;more about the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games at 91Թ</a></h2> <p>Kidd, who was a middle distance runner in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, said “we need to make sure those facilities don’t become white elephants, and in fact are used to enhance participation, to allow athletes to train and compete here.”</p> <p>The real proof will come in 2020, he said, when it is expected that an Ontario-based sports system will be in place. A member of the Canadian Olympic Committee since 1981, Kidd&nbsp;is waiting for the provincial government to release “an over-arching sport plan to co-ordinate this.”</p> <p>Few cities in the world have followed up major amateur athletic sporting games with comprehensive plans to use the facilities built for them, Kidd said, pointing to both Barcelona and Montreal as examples of cities that have done it right.</p> <p>“We are following the Barcelona model,” he said.&nbsp;“It’s still early days yet, but we are hearing that some athletes are saying they will stay here and train. It is starting to happen at our campus in Scarborough.”</p> <p>Toronto Mayor and 91Թ alumnus <strong>John Tory </strong>has until Sept. 15 to make an application for the 2024 Olympic Games, along with a $150,000 cheque to the International Olympic Committee. A city study recently estimated it would cost $50 million just to make a formal bid. Kidd believes it will be $100 million.</p> <p><strong>David Peterson</strong>, chair of the board of the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games and former chancellor of 91Թ, said in an interview that the success of the games “proved that we can do it. We are the envy of the world. I think we have a good chance of winning [the bid for 2024]. I know a lot of IOC members who tell me if they had a vote today, they would vote for Toronto.” &nbsp;Paris, Rome, Hamburg and Los Angeles&nbsp;are other cities bidding on the Games.</p> <p>“I appreciate David’s tremendous energy and creativity,” Kidd said. “I just think the timing is not right. He thinks we need to strike when the iron is hot.&nbsp;I believe we need to consolidate what we have done now and develop a much more comprehensive plan for the Olympics because it is a much different project that will require a whole new effort. It if happens [a bid for 2024]&nbsp;it will be terrific, but it makes far more sense to go for 2028.”</p> <p>Another problem in bidding for the Olympics is that “Toronto is not an exemplary Olympics city when it comes to sports,” Kidd said. “During the last bid (for 2008) the city was closing swimming pools, the best athletes were forced to train in other places and there was very little (media) coverage of Olympic sports.”</p> <p>By using the facilities built for the Pan Ams, Toronto would&nbsp;show it can be an Olympic city in 2028, Kidd said, “but&nbsp;&nbsp;you have to have the widest possible support.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style="border-left-width: 0px; max-width: 658px; border-right-width: 0px; width: 99.37%; background: #fff; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 1px; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); border-radius: 3px"> <div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px"> <div style="width: 100%; background: #f8f8f8; padding-bottom: 50%; text-align: center; padding-top: 50%; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 40px; line-height: 0; padding-right: 0px"> <div style="height: 44px; width: 44px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaagfbmveuiiii9pt0ehh4gib4hibkchbwchbwchbydr+jqaaaachrstlmaba4yhyqsm5jtamwaaadfsurbvdjl7zvbegmhcaqbaf//42xcnbpaqakcm0ftumfaaibe81iqbjds3ls6zs3bipb9wed3yyxfpmhrft8sgyrcp1x8ueuxlmznwelfoycv6mhwwwmzdpekhlhlw7nwjqkhc4uizphavdza2jpzudsbzzinae2s6owh8xpmx8g7zzgkeopuoyhvgz1tbcxmkd3kwnvbu0gkhkx+izilf77iofhry1nyfnb/lqpb79drwoyjva/davg9b/rlb4cc+nqgdz/tvbbbnr6gbreqn/nrmdgaqeej7whonozjf+y2i/fzou/qaaaaaelftksuqmcc); position: relative; margin: 0px auto -44px; display: block; top: -22px">&nbsp;</div> </div> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 4px; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding-right: 4px"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/oJhdv0oUIr/" style="word-wrap: break-word; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; color: #000; font-style: normal; line-height: 17px" target="_top">Bruce Kidd changing socks under the gaze of young onlooker during the #CNE Invitational and Sr. Class Meet, Toronto. 7 Sept 1964.</a></p> <p style="overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; color: #c9c8cd; padding-bottom: 7px; text-align: center; padding-top: 8px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 8px; line-height: 17px; padding-right: 0px">A photo posted by 91Թ Archives (@utarchives) on <time datetime="2014-05-18T18:48:22+00:00" style="font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 17px">May 18, 2014 at 11:48am PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-07-21-rosie_0.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 14 Sep 2015 11:01:25 +0000 sgupta 7271 at Social media highlights of Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games /news/social-media-highlights-toronto-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Social media highlights of Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-17T07:37:47-04:00" title="Monday, August 17, 2015 - 07:37" class="datetime">Mon, 08/17/2015 - 07:37</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"> 91Թ's Shelley Gautier with silver medal (photo courtesy Canadian Paralympic Association)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Sarah Khan</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sport" hreflang="en">Sport</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/community" hreflang="en">Community</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/city" hreflang="en">City</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As the Parapan Am closing ceremony took place at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday, the field&nbsp;of&nbsp;play at the 91Թ's downtown campus, also known as Pan Am Fields, was being disassembled and readied for the return of student athletes.&nbsp;</p> <p>By next week, there will be no physical signs left of the 1.7 kilometers of fence line or the 3.7 kilometers of accessible walkways which were laid on top of grass and turf on the St. George campus.</p> <p>But the Games will continue to be remembered by the 750 students, staff and faculty members who volunteered, the 22 91Թ athletes who competed, and the thousands of guests who cheered on their teams from the stands at our St. George and Scarborough campuses.</p> <p>The Games are also <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/miltons-velodrome-torontos-west-don-lands-using-pan-amparapan-am-games-build-legacy">leaving behind an important legacy</a> for the 91Թ and its surrounding communities&nbsp;in the form of <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/these-venues-are-where-you-can-catch-toronto-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games-u-t">accessible sport facilities</a> which will be open for training and participating in various sports as well as&nbsp;in<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/how-persistence-and-pan-amparapan-am-games-paid-affordable-housing"> affordable housing</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/meet-artists-and-urban-studies-students-making-pan-am-path-beautiful">improved public spaces</a>.</p> <p>“The infrastructure is really good for the community” &nbsp;91Թ's&nbsp;<strong>Zack&nbsp;Chetrat</strong>&nbsp;said in an interview with Hart House before breaking the Canadian record in men's 200m butterfly at the Games.&nbsp;“Everything&nbsp;that’s being built isn’t going anywhere after the Pan Ams. All that growth is going to go to the people of Toronto, which is very exciting for me.”</p> <p>Celebrating the latest silver medal win by <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/champion-sport-meet-alumna-and-paracyclist-shelley-gautier">91Թ alumna and para-cyclist <strong>Shelley Gautier</strong></a>, we look back one last time at the many ways the 91Թ embraced the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.</p> <div class="storify"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/UofT/to2015-at-u-of-t/embed?border=false" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/UofT/to2015-at-u-of-t.js?border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="https://storify.com/UofT/to2015-at-u-of-t" target="_blank">View the story "TO2015 at 91Թ" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-08-18-parapan-medalists-gautier.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 17 Aug 2015 11:37:47 +0000 sgupta 7221 at These alumni helped set the stage (literally) for the Parapan and Pan Am Games /news/these-alumni-helped-set-stage-literally-parapan-and-pan-am-games <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">These alumni helped set the stage (literally) for the Parapan and Pan Am Games</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-17T03:42:15-04:00" title="Monday, August 17, 2015 - 03:42" class="datetime">Mon, 08/17/2015 - 03:42</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Indrit Alushani worked at the Abilities Centre (above) which hosted boccia and judo during the Parapan Am Games (photo by Indrit Alushani)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/dale-duncan" hreflang="en">Dale Duncan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/josie-harrison" hreflang="en">Josie Harrison</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Josie Harrison &amp; Dale Duncan</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sport" hreflang="en">Sport</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/parapan-am" hreflang="en">Parapan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/architecture" hreflang="en">Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Architecture grads Indrit Alushani and Craig Deebank explain what goes into the temporary infrastructure needed for events</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Indrit Alushani</strong> and <strong>Craig Deebank</strong> have had a behind-the-scenes look at the many things cities must do to make large sporting events such as the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games possible. &nbsp;</p> <p>The two recent Master of Architecture grads scored contract positions doing what’s known as Games overlay – designing and overseeing the construction of the temporary infrastructure required for venues hosting the Games.&nbsp;</p> <p>Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies student <strong>Josie Harrison</strong> spoke with them about their experience, what they have learned about designing venues for accessible international sporting events, and how the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design&nbsp;helped prepare them for their roles.</p> <p><strong>What exactly is “Games overlay”?&nbsp;</strong><br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>Alushani</strong>:&nbsp;Games overlay deals with the temporary infrastructure that is needed to run the Games. This includes but is not limited to commodities and spaces that are necessary to meet the standards of an international sporting event. Overlay managers collaborate closely with stakeholders and others who will use the venue to ensure the space that meets everyone’s requirements.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Deebank</strong>: I was told when I started that no venue is 100 per cent ready to host a game. There is always an alteration process that takes place based on the game’s unique standards and protocol. There are a lot of different client groups you have to please at the end of the day within the design and budget parameters you’ve been given. &nbsp;</p> <p>In some cases, venues are 100 per cent overlay. For example, some venues are constructed over parking lots – such as the beach volleyball venue. The overlay team would bring in the temporary seating, sand, power, platforms, grandstands, broadcast stands and all of the other things required to make the venue and sport function. These are removed at the end of the Games and can be repurposed for other things.</p> <p><strong>Could you describe your role for the Games?</strong></p> <p><strong>Alushani</strong>: I was first assigned to the East Zone team to help out six site managers who were in charge of designing and delivering the infrastructure of one or more venue. At first you would jump from one task to another, one venue to another. As things progressed I was assigned to assist in the delivery of the President’s Choice Pan Am Ballpark in Ajax where baseball and softball was held, as well as the General Motors Center in Oshawa for the weightlifting and boxing. Lately I've been&nbsp;working at the Abilities Centre in Whitby, which is hosting boccia and judo during the Parapan Am Games.</p> <p>(Image below: Alushani at President's Choice Pan Am ballpark)</p> <p><img alt="photo of Alushani at work site" src="/sites/default/files/2915-08-17-parapan-alushani.jpg" style="width: 625px; height: 410px; margin: 10px 30px;"></p> <p><strong>Deebank</strong>: As an overlay site manager in the West Zone, I was involved in managing the design of several venues and delivery phase of the Cisco Milton Pan Am / Parapan Am Velodrome. It’s a high-pressure environment. One day you’re working on coordinating the Velodrome cycling track; the next day you’re trying to plan the cycling time trial race. During the design phase you jump around from venue to venue, sport to sport, so there’s a lot of learning that takes place. A lot of the people working in our overlay department are architects or architecturally trained. It’s very much like a studio environment. We don’t do physical models, but we sketch a lot and use similar software. So it’s like being in a studio, but you are putting on the Games.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What kind of things did you have to consider when designing overlay with the Parapan Am Games in mind?</strong></p> <p><strong>Alushani</strong>: The Abilities Centre building in Whitby has won a number of awards for design excellence with respect to accessibility. It serves as a center for rehabilitation and is a true celebration of barrier-free design, which made things quite easy for us in overlay as the building was already so well designed for individuals with physical limitations. The striking element in the building is the gradual ramp that starts from the ground floor and leads to the upper level. There was a great level of consideration for ramp slopes or demarcation of raised steps or cable flies in areas with high traffic. I have learned so much about accessible design. It was inspiring to see how design can create so many opportunities and become a means of inclusion.</p> <p><strong>Deebank</strong>: The Cisco Milton Velodrome is both a Pan and Parapan Am venue which I have been stationed at for the duration of the Games –&nbsp;it's a beautiful facility specifically designed to function for large track cycling events and accommodate a variety of accessible needs. During the design phase we had incorporated many barrier-free design features to our verlay spaces in order to reduce the amount of transition required.</p> <p><img alt="photo of velodrome" src="/sites/default/files/2015-08-17-parapan-final.jpg" style="width: 625px; height: 420px; margin: 10px 30px;"></p> <p>In the West Zone, The Mississauga Sport Centre had the most Pan to Parapan changes as the overlay, sport and venue teams had transformed the venue to host&nbsp;combat sports (judo, taikwondo, karate and wrestling) and then wheelchair rugby, powerlifting and goalball. It was really impressive how that team transformed the hockey arenas into their current Games-ready state.</p> <p>From an overlay perspective, the key things to consider were the Parapan user experience and to find design and cost efficiencies that would work for both Pan and Parapan's needs. I thought the TO2015 Organizing Committee had strong, experienced leadership with Parapan Planning and Integration and were able to help us collaborate through this unique process.</p> <p><strong>What have you learned from your experience working on overlay for the Games?</strong></p> <p><strong>Alushani</strong>: Where do I even begin? This has been such a unique experience, and I consider myself lucky to have been part of it. Project management is one of the first things that comes to mind: being able to work with schedulers in order to have contractors build on time, meeting budgets and legal requirements, ensuring that the work is conducted safely, communicating and delegating work to a large number of people, from your own contractors to your colleagues. It is a huge role with great responsibility.</p> <p><strong>Deebank</strong>: It’s a very high tempo, fast paced, social, and collaborative environment. You have to be able to think quickly and be adaptable, and that’s been a fun challenge. I worked with many great people who have experience with the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the World Cup in Brazil. Hearing what they did in these particular locations and the challenges they faced<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;–&nbsp;</span>be it a labour shortage or the need to use local materials<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;–&nbsp;</span>and how they problem-solved in those cases was really interesting. You learn more about the sports as well. I have spent a lot of time at the Cisco Milton Pan Am / Parapan Am Velodrome in Milton, so I learned a lot about track cycling; it’s incredible what the athletes can do. You don’t know how steep those curved walls are until you see it in person. And then you see the athletes ride at 70 km or more around it<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;–&nbsp;</span>it’s really cool.</p> <p>(Image below: Deebank at Velodrome)</p> <p><img alt="photo of Deebank at velodrome" src="/sites/default/files/2015-08-17-deebank-velodrome.jpg" style="width: 625px; height: 410px; margin: 10px 30px;"></p> <p>It has been great to see the large selection of Parapan sports offered. A few days ago I went to watch wheelchair rugby, a.k.a “Murderball,” at the Mississauga Sport Centre. As one would expect with a nickname of “Murderball,” this is a contact sport –&nbsp;those athletes are fierce competitors and can hit really hard! It was really entertaining and an amazing display of athleticism.</p> <p>Speaking with a few of the athletes, coaches, sport organizers and volunteers throughout the Parapan Am Games, I've had the opportunity to learn about some of the athletes' stories and how they came to specialize in their Parapan sports. It's incredible what these athletes have accomplished and their commitment to their sport.</p> <p><strong>How did your time at the 91Թ prepare you for this role?</strong></p> <p><strong>Alushani</strong>: The Daniels Faculty is a world-class school of design in part because it emphasizes on collaboration and creativity. The Faculty welcomes people from different backgrounds both cultural and academic because diversity and collaboration is key to successful design ideas. The Toronto 2015 office has been one of the most diverse offices I have been to. People were coming from all ends of the world with different career backgrounds, working together to create one unique and remarkable final product, the Pan Am games.</p> <p><strong>Deebank</strong>: The Daniels Faculty really promotes the City as an organism, understanding the city, and where architecture and design fits within it. This has stuck with me, and I try to apply it wherever I go. The Faculty also provides a diverse and collaborative environment between landscape architecture, visual studies, urbanism, and architecture, and people coming into these programs with completely varied academic backgrounds. There is a cross-disciplinary approach to problem solving. That, I think, was very applicable to this job. I’m really thankful for what I’ve learned at Daniels, and how I’ve been able to apply it in a professional setting.</p> <p><img alt="photo of President' Choice Pan Am ballpark" src="/sites/default/files/2015-08-17-games-final.jpg" style="width: 625px; height: 213px; margin: 10px 30px;"></p> <p>(Above:&nbsp;the President’s Choice Pan Am Ballpark in Ajax)</p> <p><em>Josie Harrison is a student and Dale Duncan is a writer with the 91Թ's <a href="https://daniels.utoronto.ca/">John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape &amp; Design&nbsp;</a>where this article originally appeared. <a href="http://daniels.utoronto.ca/news">Read more news from the Faculty</a>.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-08-17-parapan-boccia.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 17 Aug 2015 07:42:15 +0000 sgupta 7215 at Behind the scenes of the Parapan Am Games with 91Թ doctors /news/behind-scenes-parapan-am-games-u-t-doctors <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Behind the scenes of the Parapan Am Games with 91Թ doctors</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-14T06:01:52-04:00" title="Friday, August 14, 2015 - 06:01" class="datetime">Fri, 08/14/2015 - 06:01</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"> Dr. Amanda Mayo is in the front row, third from right</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/carolyn-morris" hreflang="en">Carolyn Morris</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Carolyn Morris</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sport" hreflang="en">Sport</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rehab" hreflang="en">Rehab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/parapan-am" hreflang="en">Parapan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/medicine" hreflang="en">Medicine</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Parapan Am Games in Toronto have reached the home stretch but&nbsp;health professionals from the 91Թ are still hard at work behind the scenes, keeping the elite athletes at the top of their game.</p> <p>Dr. <strong>Amanda Mayo</strong> is a lecturer in physical medicine and rehabilitation (physiatry) and works with amputee patients at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. The lead doctor for Para Table Tennis at the Games, she&nbsp;also serves as a Paralympic classifier for athletics in Ontario, attending&nbsp;track and field events and training facilities to classify new athletes entering Paralympic sport.</p> <p>Dr. <strong>Lee Schofield</strong>, a physician at the 91Թ’s David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic, is serving as lead physician for the Para-athletics venue.</p> <p>The Faculty of Medicine's <strong>Carolyn Morris</strong> spoke with Mayo and Schofield about their work behind the scenes at and the legacy of the Parapan Am Games.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Mayo</strong>:</p> <p>As a physiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, I see several para-athletes who are amputees – including para wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball players. Many 91Թ faculty in sports medicine and physiatry are lead physicians and medical team members at the Games. The medical team has strong expertise in para sport providing excellent evidence based care for athletes. Many have been involved in research of performance and outcome measures for physically disabled populations.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Games have inspired many of my patients to get involved with more physical activity and parasport. I feel the best Games legacy is the great new accessible fitness facilities that are going to be available for people with physical disabilities. In my practice we’ve been implementing supervised circuit training and recreational therapy. Our rehabilitation team has developed these programs with the goal patients will gain skills and confidence to use community centres with accessible pools and fitness equipment. We now have MAR-Atos in Markham, the 91Թ Scarborough’s Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, and Whitby Abilities Centre.</p> <p>Previously Variety Village was the only major accessible local fitness centre, so this is huge for Toronto and the GTA.</p> <p><strong>Schofield:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>I was part of the Canadian medical team for the Pan Am Games, and I am the lead physician for the Para-Athletics venue for the Parapan Am Games. In my daily life, I work as a family doctor at St. Michael's Hospital, and as a sport and exercise medicine physician at the 91Թ’s David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic and at PIVOT Sport Medicine &amp; Orthopedics. I also have athletes who compete in athletics and wheelchair basketball in my family practice, and have worked with para-triathlon and wheelchair basketball events in the past.</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/2015-08-14-parapan-schofield.jpg" style="width: 275px; height: 325px; margin: 10px; float: right;">In many ways para-athletes have the same types of problems as other elite athletes. They’ve typically adapted well to using whatever specialized equipment they require, and the things we see them for are often not related to their disability. Sometimes athletes with prosthetics do have skin-related issues like pressure sores or skin breakdown. And thermal regulation can be an issue for patients with spinal cord injury.</p> <p>We also see compensatory issues when athletes overuse certain parts of their bodies – for example we see rotator cuff injuries that come from using the upper body extensively. Parasport is great from a sports medicine perspective because of the different approaches to tackling a problem – the solution could be a matter of modifying equipment, modifying how the athlete uses the equipment, or working on their muscle imbalances.&nbsp;</p> <p>Elite parasport performance and preparation also has a significant ripple effect on non-athletes living with disabilities. It shows the public and non-athletes how they can manage their injury or chronic disease and build strength, function and performance.</p> <p>For example, the Canadian Armed Forces program Soldier On supports service personnel and veterans to overcome their physical or mental illness through physical activity and sport. It’s a fantastic program that can introduce or re-introduce active people into sport (and often they can get into elite parasport) after a devastating injury.&nbsp;</p> <p>The technology developed to support these athletes can trickle down into the non-elite or non-athlete community. It’s mind-blowing when you consider what was available when Terry Fox had a leg amputation for osteosarcoma to the prosthetics that exist now for athletes and the general population.</p> <p>And it’s been huge as well for parasport in general – with over 1,600 athletes from 28 countries competing, this is the largest Parapan Am Games to date. And while it all wraps up at the closing ceremonies on Saturday, it will leave its mark on accessibility in Toronto.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-08-14-para-tennis-medical.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 14 Aug 2015 10:01:52 +0000 sgupta 7212 at Beyond Parapan: promoting inclusiveness in sport at the community level /news/beyond-parapan-promoting-inclusiveness-sport-community-level <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Beyond Parapan: promoting inclusiveness in sport at the community level</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-12T10:34:25-04:00" title="Wednesday, August 12, 2015 - 10:34" class="datetime">Wed, 08/12/2015 - 10:34</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Igniting Fitness Possibilities brings students with and without physical disabilities together to develop skills and confidence in sports and fitness (photo by William Suarez)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/veronica-zaretski" hreflang="en">Veronica Zaretski</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Veronica Zaretski</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/more-news" hreflang="en">More News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sport" hreflang="en">Sport</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/parapan" hreflang="en">Parapan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/community" hreflang="en">Community</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Parapan Am Games are in full swing,&nbsp;showcasing&nbsp;what elite athletes&nbsp;can accomplish and how they can perform on the world's stage.</p> <p>What the <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/david-onley-parasport-rise-and-heres-why">91Թ's David Onley</a> has called the&nbsp;“raw athleticism” of the world-class athletes is drawing spectators to a wide range of sports. And, thanks to two 91Թ researchers, excitement and inclusiveness in sport is also growing at the&nbsp;community level.</p> <p>Assistant Professor <strong>Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos</strong> and Associate Professor <strong>Virginia Wright</strong>&nbsp;have developed a pilot&nbsp;program called Igniting Fitness Possibilities that brings together children and youth of all levels of abilities&nbsp;to gain skills and confidence in sport&nbsp;and fitness. It was created as a collaboration between Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education with funding from The National Bank, Milos Raonic&nbsp;and the 91Թ Connaught New Researcher Award.&nbsp;</p> <p>91Թ News spoke to Arbour-Nicitopoulos about the program and what it means to build a life-long enjoyment of fitness in both non-athletes and future athletes alike.</p> <hr> <p><strong>How does Igniting Fitness Possibilities work?</strong><br> The program brings children and youth in grades 4 to 12 with and without disabilities together, first and foremost for the social aspect. The kids involved build new friendships and are getting motivated to be more active.&nbsp;</p> <p>There are two phases to the program. The first is the Quick Start phase. The sole focus of this phase is to help build sports and fitness skills, and participating in sports, but also other existing programs in the community.&nbsp;</p> <p>The kids get to take part in fitness activities, sports development and collaborative games. The games could be wheelchair basketball, for example, where the students learn how to use a wheelchair and how to manoeuvre it. The fitness portion consists of aerobic and muscular endurance activities performed as a group as well as in partners, such as circuits and yoga. &nbsp;</p> <p>In the second phase, “Give it a Try”, the kids start in an existing program offered within their community. A lot of kids lack the skills or confidence initially, which they get in the “Quick Start” phase. In this phase the kids join such programs as wheelchair basketball, swimming, gymnastics, fencing, judo –&nbsp;basically any sport or fitness program that is of interest to them. We have a coach who supports them throughout both phases. This coach works with every six kids, trying to pique their interest to see what they might want to give a try.&nbsp;</p> <p>The program is in its early stages, but so far we piloted IFP at Variety Village (Fall 2014 – grades 4-6) and at the Abilities Centre (Winter 2015 – grades 6-8) in Whitby. We will be piloting another two programs at 91Թ (with youth in grades 9-12) and again at the Abilities Centre (with youth in grades 6-8) this Fall.</p> <p><strong>How important is it to get kids involved early?&nbsp;</strong><br> By the end of Quick Start the kids surprise themselves by how much they enjoy sports. They see that sports do not have to be regimented and that there are different ways of playing sports. My hope is that when we follow up with those kids later on they would have a different view about the variety of sports that they can play and enjoy. &nbsp;</p> <p>We’re trying to do a better job than we were doing years ago. Many of the kids who are disabled would not have had the opportunity to participate in different sports within their neighbourhoods. The level of awareness for sports for people with different abilities has exploded in a big way.</p> <p>Bringing the Parapan Am Games here is making people aware of the different sports in which para-athletes participate.</p> <p><strong>How does that benefit the city?&nbsp;</strong><br> I think that having the Games here in Toronto is raising more awareness about how we use the term ‘disability’. What do we mean by that? What does it mean to have a disability? When you look at the Para Pan athletes I don’t think anyone can say that they have a disability. It gets people thinking more about the term ‘ability’ as well as accessible spaces.</p> <p>When I went to Nathan Phillips Square (for Panamania), I was amazed how every space was accessible. The city and the government have contributed quite a large amount of funding to make spaces more accessible for the games, and as a result Torontonians now have more accessible spaces to be active in their community.&nbsp;</p> <p>At the 91Թ reception of the Parapan Am Games, <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/celebrating-toronto-2015-parapan-am-games"><strong>Joanne Berdan</strong> spoke of the term paratough</a>, which was recently coined by the Canadian Paralympic Committee. That’s so true. The disability part is slowly going away, and people are recognizing the tremendous talent of these individuals. I’m hoping that the IFP program will provide one of many similar opportunities for kids in the future.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-08-12-IFP-parapan.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 12 Aug 2015 14:34:25 +0000 sgupta 7204 at Celebrating the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games /news/celebrating-toronto-2015-parapan-am-games <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Celebrating the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-12T05:42:37-04:00" title="Wednesday, August 12, 2015 - 05:42" class="datetime">Wed, 08/12/2015 - 05:42</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">91Թ Hall of Fame athlete Joanne Berdan (Bouw) and 91Թ's Pan Am/Parapan Am Special Ambassador David Onley celebrate at City Hall (all photos by James Poremba)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/brianna-goldberg" hreflang="en">Brianna Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Brianna Goldberg</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/parapan-am" hreflang="en">Parapan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">91Թ reception at City Hall marks the first fully integrated, accessible and international multi-sport event in Canada's history</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div>Widespread enthusiasm for the 2015 Parapan Am Games is proof of parasport competitors’ athleticism and tenacity, alumna <strong>Joanne Berdan</strong>&nbsp;told&nbsp;a 91Թ reception at City Hall on August&nbsp;10.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>And the <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/joanne-berdan-be-first-paralympian-inducted-u-t-sports-hall-fame">91Թ Sports Hall of Famer</a> said it's great to witness the public celebration of &nbsp;“paratough” athletes.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>“I was involved with parasport at a time when it required an explanation,” Berdan said.&nbsp;“The term ‘Paralympian’ is now a known part of our vernacular that no longer needs defining and to me that is so exciting.”</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Berdan was known as Joanne Bouw when she was a student (she graduated in 1986) and when she&nbsp;earned eight gold medals in track and field over the course of four Paralympic summer games from 1984 to 1992. The world records she set in javelin, shot put and discus throw for athletes with cerebral palsy stood for 12 years –&nbsp;until the Paralympic games in 2004. Last May, Berdan became the first parasport athlete inducted into the 91Թ Sports Hall of Fame.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/joanne-berdan-be-first-paralympian-inducted-u-t-sports-hall-fame">Read more about Berdan's induction into the 91Թ Hall of Fame</a></h2> <div>“Sport has the power to change the world,” she said, referencing a famous Nelson Mandela quote&nbsp;on the ability of athletics to break down racial barriers. “I believe that sport also breaks down disability barriers,” Berdan added.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>“So, while you watch our athletes compete, please see the speed and fluidity of our swimmers in the pool, not the wheelchair nor the artificial limb they left on the pool deck, because our swimmers are paratough.”</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Berdan spoke at the 91Թ reception for the&nbsp;Parapan Am Games at Toronto City Hall, before an audience that included&nbsp;dozens of 91Թ&nbsp;staff, faculty, alumni and Parapan volunteers, as well as consuls general from Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Trinidad &amp; Tobago, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico and the United States.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>“Clearly something extraordinary is going on and I believe it’s an understanding that accessibility is a mindset that changes impossible to all that is possible,” said &nbsp;<strong>Angela Hildyard</strong>,&nbsp;91Թ's vice-president, human resources and equity.</div> <div><img alt="David Peterson at Pan Am reception" src="/sites/default/files/2015-08-12-parapan-reception-petersen.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 433px; margin: 10px 30px;">(<em>Above:&nbsp;Pan Am/Parapan Am Games chair David Peterson speaks with 91Թ students at the reception</em>)</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Hildyard noted the impressive size and scope of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games as being the largest international multi-sport event in Canada’s history – and the first to be fully integrated and accessible.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>She highlighted that with approximately 16,000 athletes and a record 28 countries competing in 15 sports, this is also the largest Parapan Am Games yet.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>“An impressive series of multicultural events from music to food to art and dance has seized our campuses and our region, adding to Toronto’s international reputation for inclusivity, energy, excitement and opportunity,” said Hildyard. “It’s all part of this city’s amazing atmosphere and a powerful transformation of cultural attitudes.”</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The University provided a home for&nbsp;many&nbsp;Parapan events&nbsp;– with the Scarborough campus hosting swimming, sitting volleyball and wheelchair tennis while the downtown campus hosting&nbsp;field hockey, football 5-a-side and 7-a-side and archery – and Pan Am events. As a result, Hildyard said, the Games&nbsp;have strengthened a “mutually-enriching relationship between the 91Թ and the Toronto region.”</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/parapan-am-preview-pick-sport-youve-never-seen-and-prepare-be-amazed">Parapan Am:&nbsp;“Pick a sport you've never seen before and prepare to be amazed”</a></h2> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>David Onley</strong>, 91Թ's&nbsp;Special Ambassador to the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, said the success of the Games is the result of years of planning and partnerships across the GTA. He celebrated the multitude of volunteers, including “91Թ staff, students, faculty and alumni of every description.”</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Onley said he threw his agreement behind commentator speculation that the Games, even as they continue, have already proved to be a success. He described the event as embodying the values of athleticism, competition, collegiality, inclusiveness as well as the spirit of camaraderie.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/david-onley-parasport-rise-and-heres-why">Onley: Parasport is on the rise and here's why</a></h2> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>To that point, Onley reflected on his experience watching one of the Parapan swimming competitions where a last-placed athlete finished a full lap and a half behind the other competitors – and yet received a standing ovation when he reached the final marker.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>“Minor detail, he didn’t have any legs. He swam the whole race just with arm strength,” said Onley.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>“This is an indication of the impact that Parapan has on people.”</div> <p><img alt="DEYS official perform at reception" src="/sites/default/files/2015-08-12-parapan-reception-DEYS.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 389px; margin: 10px 30px;">(<em>Above:&nbsp;sibling musical group&nbsp;DEYSofficial, including UTSC students, perform their original song at the 91Թ Parapan Am reception</em>.) (<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/toronto-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games-highlights-first-weeks">Read more about DEYSofficial and watch a video of the Pan Am/Parapan Am song they composed by clicking through to the end of this Pan Am highlights story.</a>)</p> <div>Onley added that the&nbsp;Parapan games were conceived for exactly this purpose, <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">“</span>bringing people of the Americas together in fellowship, in friendly competition at the highest level,<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">”&nbsp;</span>and to help the world see&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">“</span>absolutely amazing athletes who just happen to have a disability.”</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>“I believe we are at a kind of tipping point. When we watch high-level parasport competitions we see awe-inspiring athletic performance. The reality of the disability comes afterward,<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">”&nbsp;</span>said Onley.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>“And that’s ultimately the goal of all social and government policy relating to accessibility: to see the ability of the person and take the disability as just another aspect of their personal characteristics alongside such things as hair colour and eye colour.”</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-08-12-parapan-reception.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:42:37 +0000 sgupta 7203 at Behind the scenes at the Parapan Am Games: 91Թ physiotherapist Agnes Makowski /news/behind-scenes-parapan-am-games-u-t-physiotherapist-agnes-makowski <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Behind the scenes at the Parapan Am Games: 91Թ physiotherapist Agnes Makowski</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-12T04:45:17-04:00" title="Wednesday, August 12, 2015 - 04:45" class="datetime">Wed, 08/12/2015 - 04:45</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Physiotherapist Agnes Makowski, an adjunct lecturer in 91Թ’s department of physical therapy, works with athletes in Team Canada's men's wheelchair basketball team (all photos courtesy Agnes Makowski)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/noreen-ahmed-ullah" hreflang="en">Noreen Ahmed-Ullah</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Noreen Ahmed-Ullah</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/our-faculty-staff" hreflang="en">Our Faculty &amp; Staff</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sport" hreflang="en">Sport</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Adjunct lecturer was also Team Canada physiotherapist at Pan Am Games </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>All athletes require the services of health professionals. Some inspire special devotion.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The Parapan Am Games are unique in that the athletes are competing with a variety of physical conditions,” says physiotherapist <strong>Agnes Makowski</strong>, an adjunct lecturer in the 91Թ’s department of physical therapy.</p> <p>Makowski is one of dozens of 91Թ health care experts – family physicians, orthopedic surgeons, athletic therapists, nurses and dietitians – who have served on the sidelines and in the backrooms of the <a href="http://panam2015.utoronto.ca/">Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Her position this week is medical lead for the Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team, an impressive squad that outscored the competition 176 to 82 in its first two outings.</p> <p>That kind of performance entails physiotherapy at a high level. Think of employing all the skill you have learned in school and on the job and taking it up a notch. &nbsp;</p> <p>The range of Parapan needs is wide. Some athletes are dealing with visual dysfunction, others have impairments as a result of spinal cord injury. There are survivors of cancer who function as amputees and athletes who are born with congenital anomalies, such as spina bifida. &nbsp;</p> <p>Spectators of wheelchair basketball naturally focus their attention on the tremendous arm strength and mobility of these athletes. But players with spinal cord injuries can develop back pain as a result of prolonged sitting.</p> <p>Recovery time away from the sports chair is important, as are manual&nbsp;therapy, accupuncture&nbsp;and traction. Makowski adapts techniques and positions to each player, taking into consideration their impairments and whether they have metal hardware in their spines.</p> <p>Other common ailments of high-performing wheelchair athletes are neck pain and injuries to the upper extremities such as rotator cuff impingement. No case is exactly the same.</p> <p><img alt="photo of Agnes Makowksi working with men's wheelchair basketball team" src="/sites/default/files/2015-08-12-physio-wheelchair-basketball.jpg" style="width: 625px; height: 425px; margin: 10px 35px;"></p> <p>“We do our best to look at each individual athlete and consider current health status, extent of disability and how we can maximize their performance through injury prevention,” Makowski says. “We give them training recommendations about their wheelchair seating and monitoring of their injuries.”</p> <p>91Թ has played a major role in the development of parasport through the Wheelchair Basketball Canada National Academy, which is based at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre at 91Թ Scarborough.</p> <p>Makowski worked as a Team Canada physiotherapist during the Pan Am Games, but to return to the Parapan Am Games represents another level of commitment.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The challenges for physiotherapists and other health care providers are to consider the individual athlete and focus on optimizing ability,” Makowski said. “We see athletes use sport to overcome impairments, and then compete at the highest levels.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-08-12-physiotherapist.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 12 Aug 2015 08:45:17 +0000 sgupta 7202 at Undergrads bring award-winning innovation to Accessibility Innovations Showcase at MaRS /news/undergrads-bring-award-winning-innovation-accessibility-innovations-showcase-mars <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Undergrads bring award-winning innovation to Accessibility Innovations Showcase at MaRS</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-07T13:24:41-04:00" title="Friday, August 7, 2015 - 13:24" class="datetime">Fri, 08/07/2015 - 13:24</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"> the IDeA team at Council of Ontario Universities)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/krisha-ravikantharaja" hreflang="en">Krisha Ravikantharaja</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Krisha Ravikantharaja</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sport" hreflang="en">Sport</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mars" hreflang="en">MaRS</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/engineering" hreflang="en">Engineering</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When these students&nbsp;attended their first live sledge hockey game, they were more interested in watching the players off the ice than on it.</p> <p><strong>Liam D’Souza</strong>, <strong>Angela Chen</strong>, <strong>Mazhar Jabakhanji</strong>, and <strong>Adithya Prashant</strong> were only in their first year of engineering science at the 91Թ when they came up with their idea for The Swivet.&nbsp;</p> <p>The invention went on to&nbsp;win the Parasport and Active Living Award at this year’s Innovative Designs for Accessibility (IDeA) Student Competition.&nbsp;</p> <p>You can see their concept August 8 through 10 at the <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/accessibility-innovation-showcase-2015">Accessibility Innovations Showcase </a>at the MaRS Discovery District.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It’s a swivelling cargo trailer that attaches to the back of a wheelchair and allows sledge hockey players to safely and independently carry their equipment,” says D’Souza.</p> <p>The team developed The Swivet as part of a first-year design course in which they were asked to find a community in the GTA, and then find an opportunity where they could implement a design solution.</p> <p>“We’re all hockey fans, so we went to an ice rink in Mississauga called Iceland. There was a sledge hockey game going on. We noticed that they were able to carry their equipment independently, but it wasn’t necessarily safely;&nbsp;the players in wheelchairs, specifically,” says&nbsp;D’Souza. “They had baggage all over them. We thought there could be a better, safer way for them to carry this equipment independently.”</p> <p>D’Souza says that their design accommodates wheelchairs of varying sizes as it The Swivet&nbsp;only clamps to one handle, and that with a different type of attachment, it can also be used by wheelchairs without handles.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It keeps all of their luggage at the back, doesn’t interrupt their field of view, and they can easily access it when they need to on demand,” he said. “With just a brisk turn of their wheelchair to the right after unlocking a hinge, the luggage will come up to the player’s side.”</p> <p>Selected as one of ten finalists, the team went on to showcase their idea at the People in Motion Exhibition, where they took home the top Parasport and Active Living Award –&nbsp;a $1500 prize offered in recognition of the&nbsp;Parapan Am Games taking place in Ontario.</p> <p>“We were really thrilled. We knew we’d put a lot of work into it. We felt like our work had paid off and we knew it was just the beginning of something good,” D’Souza says.</p> <p>It was none other than the <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/david-onley-parasport-rise-and-heres-why">Honourable <strong>David Onley</strong>, 91Թ’s Special Ambassador</a> for the <a href="http://panam2015.utoronto.ca/">Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am&nbsp;Games</a>, who presented the award. D’Souza recalls speaking with Onley just prior to the award ceremony.</p> <p>“He was really encouraging. He told us we had a good idea. He’s really receptive to new designs and innovations, especially by young people,” D’Souza said.</p> <p>D’Souza says the team members faced their fair share of challenges developing the Swivet.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;“There were design challenges, and there were also times when we thought it just wouldn’t work, that no one would buy into it. That was one of the challenges –just that we really had to persevere.</p> <p>“The university provided a lot of support. Not just technical support but also a lot of encouragement at times when it seemed that we really had nothing. They kept us going, especially our TA’s. Our professors, <strong>Jason Foster </strong>and <strong>Robert Irish</strong>, were really helpful as well. They’re senior design professors at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at 91Թ. They were of great help to us throughout the process.”&nbsp;</p> <p>But what about the name?</p> <p>“It’s two fold. Swivet combines two words, ‘swivel’ and ‘pivot’. The other part of the name is that it’s actually also a word which means ‘a panic’ or ‘a fluster’. It was a few weeks before our showcase. And you could say we were in a swivet to find a name. So we thought, why not?’”</p> <p>The team is continuing to refine the Swivet’s design.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We hope that one day we can bring a product to market,” D’Souza says. “We feel that we owe it at this point to the community and to others as well – to bring a general product, I want to specify that, not just a product for sledge hockey players. A product that can be used in multiple settings, to carry whatever you need to carry.”&nbsp;</p> <p>D’Souza says that he has learned a lot from the experience&nbsp;and not just about design.</p> <p>“The experience has taught me that if you design something really useful and you put a lot of effort into it, people will take notice. They will respect what you’ve done and help you.”&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Krisha Ravikantharaja is a student at the 91Թ.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-08-07-sledgehockey-one.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 07 Aug 2015 17:24:41 +0000 sgupta 7197 at Parapan Am preview: “Pick a sport you’ve never seen before and prepare to be amazed” /news/parapan-am-preview-pick-sport-youve-never-seen-and-prepare-be-amazed <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Parapan Am preview: “Pick a sport you’ve never seen before and prepare to be amazed”</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-05T09:36:27-04:00" title="Wednesday, August 5, 2015 - 09:36" class="datetime">Wed, 08/05/2015 - 09:36</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Sitting volleyball is one of the events hosted by the 91Թ Scarborough (photo by Matthew Murnaghan/Canadian Paralympic Committee)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/brianna-goldberg" hreflang="en">Brianna Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Brianna Goldberg</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sports" hreflang="en">Sports</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/parapan-am" hreflang="en">Parapan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">91Թ Special Ambassador David Onley shares his must-watch list </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div>The final stretch of games showcasing athletic talent from across the Americas kicks off in Toronto on&nbsp;August&nbsp;7, with the opening ceremonies for the largest-ever Parapan Am Games.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>A week of competitions featuring popular parasports such as wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and swimming – as well as those that may be new to many spectators, such as boccia and goalball – includes many events on 91Թ campuses.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>At the 91Թ Scarborough,&nbsp;the <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/welcome-toronto-pan-am-sports-centre">CIBC Pan Am / Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House </a>will host swimming and sitting volleyball and the&nbsp;new Tennis Centre will host wheelchair tennis. The downtown&nbsp;campus will host field hockey, football 5-a-side and 7-a-side at the Pan Am/Parapan Am Fields and&nbsp;archery competitions at Varsity Stadium.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>David Onley</strong> is a senior lecturer and distinguished visitor at UTSC as well as 91Թ’s Special Ambassador for the <a href="http://panam2015.utoronto.ca/">Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am&nbsp;Games</a>. He shared his most anticipated events for the upcoming games, as well as a few words of advice to spectators – regardless of whether they’ll be watching from stadium seats, their television sets, or Nathan Phillips Square.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>What’s ahead for you in your role as Special Ambassador for the Parapan Am Games?</strong></div> <div>I’ve had the enormous privilege in representing the university for the Pan Am and now the ParaPan Am Games. It’s been a wonderful experience meeting the athletes, the organizers, the volunteers, and people from the administration who’ve been working behind the scenes and I’ve enjoyed being able to attend so many events. I’m looking forward to being able to continue that with the ParaPans. Since I’m based out of UTSC, where so many events occur, it’s a wonderful opportunity to show off the facility because it certainly is of Olympian and world standards.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>What’s the significance of 91Թ hosting so many events for PanAm and Parapan Am, in your view?</strong></div> <div>I think it was a fantastic idea that turned quite a significant involvement, with so many events being hosted on our campuses, from swimming to fencing and more. The success was proven out in short order when athletes who are 91Թ alumni or current students started to win medals.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>So far the PanAms have been a great opportunity for members of the university community to meet fellow 91Թ personnel, including <strong>Zack Chetrat</strong> and <strong>Rosie MacLennan</strong>, and others who in some cases didn’t win medals but ended up qualifying for the Olympics in Rio. Not all victories come with medals. It’s also been a fabulous chance for 91Թ to showcase itself to the public and to connect within the greater university community.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>And when things Pan Am/Parapan happen, it gives us at the university the deserved reputation of being affiliated with sport. In the case of the men’s wheelchair basketball, regardless of where teams place within the Parapans and then in Rio, the focal point will be drawn back to training and competition facilitated by the 91Թ, and that will apply wherever we increasingly have involvement with parasport.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/david-onley-parasport-rise-and-heres-why">growth of and interest in parasport</a> is something I believe we have a great opportunity to seize at this university, so that whenever people think of swimmers with disabilities they think of the facilities and community at 91Թ, or whenever they think of wheelchair basketball or wheelchair rugby they also make that connection. Nothing but good can come from that.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Any advice that you’d like to pass on to spectators and readers?</strong></div> <div>I tell people to simply go to the games. Pick a sport you’ve never seen before and prepare to be amazed. Until you have seen a blind swimmer, until you have seen athletes competing in wheelchair rugby or wheelchair basketball, you don’t realize and can’t appreciate the raw athleticism of these individuals. And as you watch that and get caught up in the excitement of the competition itself, it’s only when the play is finished and the applause dies down that the secondary aspect of it being a parasport hits you with a wallop.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>I felt that quite significantly in the men’s final in wheelchair basketball when we took the gold in 2012. It wasn’t until the game was over that it really sunk in: this was not only a great victory for Canada, not only a great basketball game, but to achieve it these guys had to individually overcome significant situations in their lives, whether it was accident or disease. Then it really does give you a different interpretation about the sport, about the individuals competing, and about disability. My urging would be: if you’ve never seen any of these sport events, just get out there and see how quickly you get caught up in the moment of it.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Which events are you most highly anticipating?</strong></div> <div>The basketball, both men and women, is very exciting. But the lesson I learned from Pan Am is to deliberately go to a sport you’ve never seen before. I ended up seeing two evenings of fencing at the Pan Ams and, to be candid, I don’t think I previously would have spent more than five seconds watching a fencing match on TV. But once I got to see it in person, it was enormously fascinating. The same thing with trampoline. Yes, it was great to see Rosie McLennan and to see if she would win, which she did. But I’d never been to a trampoline event before. Go to sports you’ve never seen and prepare to be very surprised, because I certainly was.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Also, if you haven’t had the chance to go to Nathan Phillips Square in the evenings, with the main square packed with entertainment and the buzz of different sporting events going on around the big screens – get yourself there. It’s an awful lot of fun.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/david-onley-parasport-rise-and-heres-why">Read more about parasport and why it's on the rise</a>.</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-08-05-SittingVolleyball2.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 05 Aug 2015 13:36:27 +0000 sgupta 7191 at