When Billy Bridges first made the national Para-hockey team back in 1998, players had to buy their own Canada jerseys off the rack at a sporting goods store.
They paid to have their names ironed on the back at the "mom and pop shop," said Sami Jo Small, a three-time Olympic medallist for Canada's women's hockey team, and Bridges' wife.Bridges remembers paying out of pocket for national team trips, often stuffing six players into a hotel room. His dad carved his sticks out of tree trunks. He now has a Para stick sponsorship deal.
McKeever is retiring after capturing 20 medals over six Games, many with brother Robin as his guide. Robin is the head coach of Canada's Para Nordic team, and the two shared a long embrace after Brian's final race Sunday, a sixth-place finish in the open relay."The level hasn't gone that much up necessarily over the years, but it's gotten way deeper, because now you cannot win without being a full-time professional.
If McKeever has one regret, it's not racing at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He qualified in the 50-kilometre race but was an alternate on race day, a decision he said was out of his hands. He's proud of his 21st-place -- Canada's top result -- in the men's 15-kilometre freestyle at the 2007 world championships, for able-bodied athletes.
Westlake, who was born with malformed feet and had both legs amputated below the knee before he was 18 months old, said he made sure to soak up every moment of his final Paralympic appearance. While Canadian athletes have helped stretch the envelope of Para sport immensely in the past two decades, there's still plenty of work to be done.
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