Article content material
Zak Madell is wearing Lulelemon greatest for the massive ball.
So, too, are his Canadian wheelchair rugby teammates, all hoping to tug off a magical run on the 2024 Summer time Paralympic Video games in Paris.
“We’re getting into figuring out we’re a little bit of an underdog this time round,” stated Madell, an Okotoks product and one of many world’s high wheelchair rugby stars.
“I imagine we’re quantity 5 on the planet proper now, which is a superb spot to me, as a result of there’s not too many expectations,” continued Madell. “It’s a great place to hopefully upset a few of the high groups and get a little bit of a Cinderella story out of it.”
Commercial 2
Article content material
It’s the hope — actually — of all Canadians on the Paralympics, which start Wednesday and run by way of Sept. 8.
It’s their time to shine on the world stage.
Included are a handful of locals — two-time medal-winning para-triathlete Stefan Daniel, 2012 gold-medallist wheelchair basketball star Chad Jassman, 2016 bronze-medallist para-cyclist Michael Sametz and world silver-medallist para-long-jumper Noah Vucsics.
All be a part of Madell in carrying the Calgary and space banner to Paris.
“It’s simply an honour actually any time we get the possibility to placed on that Maple Leaf,” stated the 30-year-old Madell, himself Edmonton-born however raised in Calgary after which in Okotoks. “It reminds us that we’re doing this for greater than ourselves. We’re doing it for our household and our buddies again house and our teammates who’ve put the work in and the opposite members of the group that may not have been capable of make this crew.
“We all know they’re again house cheering us on and supporting us. And so we’re simply ensuring that we do all the pieces we will to not have any regrets on the finish of it and making an attempt to make our nation proud.”
Midday Information Roundup
Article content material
Commercial 3
Article content material
For Madell, meaning enjoying the way in which he often does, together with on the three earlier Paralympics.
He merely leaves all of it on the market, bringing a fiery model of rugby — and large power — to the ground.
“I’ve been round for a minute now, so I assume I’m turning into a little bit of a salty outdated vet,” stated Madell, with a chuckle. “These are Video games quantity 4 for me. A whole lot of our athletes have been sticking round since my first Paralympics in 2012 London. So quite a lot of my mentors are nonetheless on the crew who’ve 5 and 6 Paralympic Video games. And so I’m type of in a cool state of affairs, I believe, the place I can relate to the outdated salty vets as a result of I’ve been round doing it with them for some time however I’m additionally nonetheless younger sufficient to narrate with a few of the newer up-and-comers and the rookies and hopefully approachable sufficient that I can take them below my wing and assist them take their sport to the subsequent degree.”
There could also be no higher wheelchair rugby star to be a mentor nowadays.
On the 2023 Parapan American Video games, Madell was second in event scoring with 136 tries — for a 19.4 common per sport — as Canada received the silver medal.
Commercial 4
Article content material
Then earlier this 12 months, he was a pressure as soon as once more because the Canadians took silver on the last-chance Paralympic Video games qualifier to e-book their ticket to Paris.
“Wheelchair rugby approached me type of by way of the basketball group,” stated Madell, recalling his rise within the sport regardless of his love of wheelchair basketball. “A pair athletes that have been concerned in each basketball and rugby simply talked about that I ought to come and check out some rugby.”
He did at age 16 in February 2011 at a prospect camp in Winnipeg, the place he performed in event video games after just some practices.
And with that, he caught the attention of the nationwide wheelchair rugby crew coach, who finally coaxed him into making the shift from basketball and becoming a member of Canada on the 2012 London Paralympics.
“I wasn’t fairly able to make the choice whether or not I used to be a rugby participant or not,” admitted Madell. “However that was a reasonably powerful supply to shrink back from, and so from that time on, I type of shifted gears and switched my focus over to rugby.”
When he was 10, Madell misplaced his fingers and legs to a septic staph an infection suffered throughout a visit to the household cabin south of Calgary.
Commercial 5
Article content material
However that didn’t cease him from turning into a world-class sporting star.
“Sport was an enormous a part of my life rising up,” Madell stated. “From the time I used to be sufficiently old to velcro my sneakers on and go play soccer, I used to be concerned in organized sport. it was each sport below the solar — from tennis to volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, T-ball … Yeah, I used to be simply tremendous concerned in athletics rising up.
“And so it was actually powerful coming house from the hospital at first and being in the home with a lately acquired incapacity and nonetheless not wholesome sufficient to exit and be enjoying with my buddies or be energetic. However we determined early on that sport wanted to be part of my life nonetheless afterwards as a result of it was such an enormous a part of my life beforehand.
“So I began off in sledge hockey. We noticed some posters on the Alberta Youngsters’s Hospital for the native Calgary Scorpions sledge hockey crew. So we went and tried it, however holding on to a hockey stick with out fingers was not nice — not a simple activity. Holding on to a hockey stick in both hand for sledge hockey required a complete lot of duct tape, and that was simply the danger for a shoulder, wrist, elbow damage or one thing being all taped on should you get pinned towards the boards. And so we moved on. I attempted wheelchair basketball a couple of years later. I completely love the game of basketball. I nonetheless play it to this present day simply to do some enjoyable cross-training to remain in contact and concerned in that group. So I may I may sit within the gymnasium and shoot hoops for 2 hours a day and by no means get tired of it.”
Commercial 6
Article content material
However it’s wheelchair rugby that has him chasing medals and being a spokesperson for Lululemon.
The corporate based by College of Calgary graduate Chip Wilson in 1998 in Vancouver is outfitting all of the Canadian Paralympians for Paris.
“Lululemon has accomplished a terrific job of designing the kits, so we will take some pleasure in and have the Maple Leaf with us all over the place we go,” stated Madell. “Particularly with Paris going to be one of many hottest video games up to now, quite a lot of consolation has been taken under consideration for us.
“Very skinny, very breathable … after which there’s all types of accessible options as effectively, just like the pants which are designed to be seated pants for wheelchair customers. A whole lot of the baggage can have zipper pulls for folks with restricted hand operate like myself, making it somewhat bit simpler. Among the zippers on jackets have a magnetic fastening system, so it’s somewhat bit simpler than fighting restricted operate to get these zippers accomplished up.
“So Lululemon actually considered all the pieces and took the athletes’ enter to assist brainstorm and consider all the pieces, which was actually cool to see.”
Commercial 7
Article content material
Even cooler can be to see Madell & Co. carrying the Lululemon gear on the rostrum in Paris.
Madell’s come a great distance after debuting for the Canadian nationwide crew at age 17 on the 2011 Americas Zone qualification event, hoping to assist Canada overlook its final two Olympic misadventures — fourth in Rio, and fifth in Tokyo.
“We wish to be certain that we don’t have a repeat of that,” added Madell, of a schedule that sees Canada play Pool A preliminary video games towards the USA on Thursday (5:30 a.m. MT), Germany on Friday (9:30 a.m. MT) and Japan (9:30 a.m. MT) with the purpose of constructing the playoff spherical Monday and Tuesday. “We’ve all the time obtained our eyes on the rostrum, however there’s additionally seven different groups on this event with their eyes on the rostrum, so it’s not gonna be straightforward.
“We’ll simply need to go see who needs it extra.”
Article content material
